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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: "Dr. James Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dr_jamessmith78@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:28:35 +0100
Subject: HAPPY NEW YEAR......17/2/2010

Attention:

Happy New Year, Firstly, I wish to introduce myself as a sympathizer of your situation. I am the Comptroller of Fund Movement Terminal and Director of national warehouse where abandoned fund/valuables consignments are dumped. This is to inform you that fresh arrangement have been made by me to conclude the delivery of your consignment funds to you. I choose to do this because records on your files shows that your consignment has packed for seizure due to lack of compliance of the british laid down rules and regulations.I want to make sure you are ready to work with me, and as well confide in you to make this a success. I found out that your consignment has been lying here due to lack of contact and none payment of delivery cost. I decided to use my good office as the Delivery/Shipment officer in charge of the National Security warehouse. (This is where all the abandoned consignments in london are kept as instructed by the british Government)

Therefore, this email is highly confidential and top secret. For this reason,you must not inform anybody about this email or my contact with you. You must keep my relationship with you to be topped secret and highly confidential as I have made all arranged for your consignment to be delivered to you.

CONDITIONS OF THIS DELIVERY
1. You must keep my relationship with you highly secret/confidential.
2. You must not expose all the above information to anybody.
3. You must be willing to act fast on any information and directives given to you.

Be informed that this arrangement is strictly confidential as this consignment/Payment has been surrendered to the British Government for seizure, Hence my involvement. As soon as I receive your response, further details will be furnished to you accordingly

Yours Sincerely
Dr. James Smith

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