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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: "james roberts" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jamesroberts606@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:59:17 +0100
Subject: FROM JAMES ROBERTS

Greetings,
I am James Roberts. An Attorney at law based in London, and am a solicitor to Mr Andreas Schranner a German who worked at Mount Resources Ltd, a geologist by profession who died in AF4590 crash since 2000 along side with his entire family (wife Maria,their daughter Andrea Eich, her husband Christian, and their children Katha rina 8, and Maximilian 10).
I decided to contact you purely on the personal conviction of trust and confidence to assist in distributing the funds left behind by my client. The deceased had a deposit (GP5.2Million) which I helped him to open in one of the leading banks here in London two years before his death. Being his attorney here, his Bank has issued me a notice to provide his next of kin or beneficiary, otherwise the account would be CONFISCATED since nobody has come forward to lay claims on the money since his death.
My search for his relative was not successfull and My proposition to you is to seek your consent to present you as a relative/next-of-kin and beneficiary of my client, so that the proceeds of this account could be paid to you and we can share the amount on a mutually agreed-upon percentage.
All legal documents to back up your claim as my client's next-of-kin will be provided, All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.
This transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law If this business proposition offends your moral values, do accept my apology. I must use this opportunity to implore you to exercise the utmost indulgence to keep this matter extraordinary confidential, whatever your decision, while I await your prompt response.
Best regards,
James Roberts.Esq
 

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