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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: michael todd <toddm4898@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2023 06:01:13 -0700
Subject: URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED ASAP

Good Day
This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it should
be treated as such. I am Michael Todd, a solicitor at law based in
United kingdom.I am the personal attorney/sole executor to 'my client'
who worked as an independent oil magnate in my country and who died
during the invasion of Russia and Ukraine. Since the death of my
client.I have written several letters to the embassy with intent to
locate any of his extended relatives whom shall be
claimants/beneficiary of his abandoned personal estate and all such
efforts have been to no avail. More so, I have received official
letters in the last few weeks suggesting a likely proceeding for
confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in line with existing
laws by the security Vault in which my client deposited the sum of
$20.500,000 million USD.The board of directors of the company now
adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his next of kin for
the payment of this money within the next 15 official working days or
forfeit the money as an abandoned fund. The company had planned to
invoke the abandoned property Decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds
after the expiration of the period given to me but after an
investigation in the finance company, I found out that some members of
the company wants to divert this fund into their private accounts For
their own selfish interest and only want, to use the excuse that
since.I am not able to look for some one to make the claim, the money
should be made on service able and that means submitting the fund to
the government of this country and some to the company management
which is not their main intentions. By virtue of my closeness to the
deceased and his immediate family, I am very much aware of my client's
financial standing. I do sincerely sympathize the death of my client,
but had thought it unprofitable for his funds to be submitted to the
federal government of this country and the finance company where it is
lodged. I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be
legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client
which is legally possible and would be done in accordance with the
laws of the land. On this note I decided to search for a credible
person and finding that you bear a similar last name, I was urged to
contact you, that I may, with your consent present you to the
"trustee" vault as my late client's surviving family member so as to
enable you put up a claim to the vault in that capacity as a next of
kin of my client, so that the proceeds of This funds valued at Twenty
Million five Hundred Thousand united state dollars only ($20.500,000
million USD dollars ) can be paid to you, before they get it
confiscated or declared UN-serviceable to the vault where this huge
deposit is lodged. Note that this is legal and 100% risk free. I find
this possible for the main reason that you bear a similar last name
with my client making it a lot easier for you to put up a claim in
that capacity. Therefore, to facilitate the immediate re profiling of
this funds. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal
is hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the
required arrangements have been made for the completion of the
release. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law .I
require only a solemn confidentiality on this. Please let me have your
opinion as soon as possible if this proposal is acceptable by you, do
not take undue advantage of the trust I have bestowed in you. I await
your urgent response.


Yours Sincerely.
Michael Todd

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