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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: "Mr Adam Wosely" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <adamwoselysmailbox@rediffmail.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:28:46 -0800
Subject: From the Director of Contracts and Finance

Attn:
I am Mr. Wosely Adams, the Director of Contracts and Finance
Allocations with the Shell Petroleum Development Company of London Ltd, I seek your confidence and assistance in a business relationship for our mutual benefits. In 2010, a contract was awarded to an American Contractor for the Turn Around Service Maintenance of our four major refineries here in United Kingdom and was grossly over-invoiced up to the tune of 296,000,000.00GBP (Two Hundred and Ninety Six Million Great British Pounds). The total contract sum was 260,000,000.00GBP (Two Hundred and Sixty Million Great British Pounds) but as a result of the over-invoicing, it was raised up to 296,000,000.00GBP (Two Hundred and Ninety Six Million Great British Pounds) and the contractor has been fully paid i.e. 260,000,000.00GBP (Two Hundred and Sixty Million Great British Pounds).
We however seek your assistance and support to enable us transfer the remaining sum of 36,000,000.00GBP (Thirty Six Million Great British Pounds) into your bank account or any other reliable bank account in your country for possible investments. The modalities to effect this transfer has been worked out as we are going to use our position here to place you as the contractor who the contract was awarded to and having accomplished
the contract wish to apply for the Balance. We shall scrap every detail of the former contractor and replace it with yours to enable you apply for payments on our behalf as the beneficiary.
There are other documents to be obtained to support this transfer in your favor while we are assuring you that there is no risk involved in this as all modalities will take the semblance of a real contractor. We have arranged to compensate you with 50% of the total funds, setting aside 1% to cover all expenses that might be incurred by both of us to facilitate the transfer into your nominated bank account.
The remaining 49% will be for us. If this business proposal is okay by you, please kindly contact me on my private email so that I will give you all the details you need to know to enable us facilitate the release of the funds to your custody. It is expected that this transaction is going to be concluded in the next 21 working days given your fullest cooperation. I wait to hear from you urgently.
Yours faithfully,
Wosely Adams.
 

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