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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Santander Bank Ukk" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2020 06:36:31 -0700
Subject: Reply 12/07/2020

Dr. Mike Ellwood
Operations/Regional Manager
Santander Bank Plc,
47-48 Piccadilly
PICCADILLY
W1J0DT
London United Kingdom

Hello friend,

I am Dr. Mike Ellwood, from Harlesden North West London, Head of Accounting Audit Department and formal senior programmer manager at Deutsche bank, here in England (Santander Bank Plc). I also worked for the Newest Ministers Bank Plc.

I am writing you about a business proposal that will be of an immense benefit to both of us. In my department, as the only Operations/Regional Manager Branch Manager Santander Bank Plc. I discovered a Sum of (£21,500,000,00) British Pounds (Twenty one million Five Hundred Thousand British Pounds) in an account that Belongs to one of our foreign customers (Late David McDowell Brown) an American citizen of Arlington Virginia, who unfortunately lost his life on First February 2003 through the southern United States space shuttle Columbia, He died a single man.

The choice of contacting you aroused from the geographical nature of where you live, particularly due to the sensitivity of this transaction and the concealment here-in. Our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that and i personally have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives, I now seek your consent to present you as the next of kin (WILL BENEFICIARY) to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at (£21,500,000,00) British Pounds can be paid to you.

Nevertheless, this will be disbursed or shared in these percentages, 50% to me and 40% to you while 10% is for any expenses incurred during the transaction. I have secured all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this claim we are making. All i need is to fill in your name(s) to the documents and legalize it in the court here to prove you as the legitimate beneficiary. All I require now is your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and Trust to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law if you will stand as inheritor of this claim, i shall process claim in your name. I only require you send your valid identification details and i will authenticate the claim in your name.

Provide me the following below, as we have 7 days to run it through. This is very URGENT.

1. Full Name:
2. Your Direct Mobile Number:
3. Your Contact Address:
4. Occupation:
5. Age:
6. Sex:
7. Nationality:

Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest I will furnish you with more information.
Please endeavor to let me know your decision rather than keep me waiting.

Thanking you in anticipation of your favorable reply.

Best Regards,
Dr. Mike Ellwood

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