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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Gerard Vidal." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gerard3vidal@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2018 00:29:08 -0700
Subject: ***BULK*** REPLY URGENT,

Dear Sir,
 
Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Barrister Gerard Vidal.
a personal attorney to Late Mrs.Justyna Johnson, herein referred to as
my late client. This email might come as a surprise to you, Since
there was no previous correspondence between us. My purpose of
contacting you is for you to help secure the funds left behind by my
late client, to avoid it being confiscated or declared unserviceable
by the Bank in Spain where this fund valued $19,340,000 (Nineteen
Million Three Hundred and Forty Thousand Euros) was deposited by my
client before her death.
 
The Bank has issued me a notice to contact the next of kin or the
account will be declared unserviceable and the fund diverted to the
Bank treasury, So far all my efforts to get hold of someone related to
her has proved abortive. I am actually asking for your consent to
present you to the Bank as the Next of Kin/beneficiary of my late
client's fund, so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you
(bearing in mind that Next of Kinship is not limited to relations othe
deceased, nor is it confined to the circuit of parental relationship,
rather it is by choice of the benefactor as regards to whom she wish
to WILL it to either formally by write up, or informally by secret
information disclosure to beneficiary be him/her a business partner,
relation, kinsmen, friend or well wisher.
 
I shall provide all the documents to back up the claim as my client's
Next of Kin. All I require is your honest cooperation and commitments
to enable us  achieve this transaction. I wish to point out that I
want 10% of this money to be shared among charity Organizations, while
the remaining 90% would be shared  equally between us. This
transaction is entirely risk free. I will use my position as the
client's attorney to guarantee the successful execution of this
transaction.
 
I will provide you with details and relevant documents that will help
you understand this transaction. you can reply with this email address
:(gerard3vidal@gmail.com)
 
Warm regards,
 
Barr:Gerard  Vidal.
c/ Parellades, 39 1r 1a | 08870
Sitges Barcelona - Spain
E-mail:gerard3vidal@gmail.com

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