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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: Clark Li <ckweaver@muscatine.k12.ia.us>
Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 23:01:28 -0500
Subject:

Hello
Note: You are the sole recipient so please keep our communication
confidential.
This is Mr. Clark Li, I am the Learning and Development Manager to the
Hang Seng Bank in China. As a matter of fact, I am contacting you
regarding the estate of Alfred and an investment placed under our
bank's management 5 years ago. I would respectfully request that you
keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity
of the information you come by as a result of this mail. I contact you
independently and no one is informed of this communication. In 2005,
the subject matter, came to our bank to engage in business discussions
with our private banking division. He informed us that he had a
financial portfolio of 14.5 million United States dollars, which he
wished to have us invest on his behalf. Based on my advice, we spun
the money around various opportunities and made attractive margins for
our first months of operation, the accrued profit and interest stood
at this point at over 10 million United States Dollars. In mid 2007,
he instructed that the principal sum (14.5M) be liquidated because he
needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments in Hong
Kong and China. We got in touch with a specialist bank in Hong Kong,
Fubon Bank who agreed to receive this money for a fee and make cash
available.
Fubon Bank Ltd. got in touch with us last year that this money has not
been claimed. On further enquiries we found out that Alfred was
involved in an accident in Mainland China, which means he died
intestate. He has no next of kin and the reason I am writing you is
because due to our code of conduct we are not allowed to show personal
interest on funds of this nature, hence I decided to contact you due
to the fact that you are based abroad. More so, I got your email
address through the commerce of trade foreign division. What I propose
is that since I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made
the beneficiary of these funds. My bank will contact you informing you
that money has been willed to you. On verification, which will be the
details I make available to my bank, my bank will instruct Fubon Bank
to make payments to you. You do not have to have known him. I know
this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this. For all
your troubles I propose that we split the money in half 50% each. In
the banking circle this happens every time. The other option is that
the money will revert back to the state. Nobody is getting hurt; this
is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and
as a Chinese National we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned
daily. I would want us to keep communication for now strictly by this
my confidential email address (liclark3027@gmail.com). Once again,
kindly note I am a family man, I have a wife and children. I send you
this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I
know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that
success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. This is
the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not
betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act
swiftly on this.
Please get back to me immediately via my private email:
liclark3027@gmail.com
I await your response.
Thank you in anticipation.
Clark Li

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