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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Robert Smith <smithlaws2@gmail.com>
Reply-To: smithlaws@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2013 08:20:57 +0100
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT,PLEASE

--
*
*
*Robert Smith & Associates*
*(Solicitors & Advocates)*
*Fields of specialization offered: International criminal Law, Business Law*
*List (Bailiffs, lawyers, notaries etc)*
*12/15,Hanbury Street,*
*London,El 6QR*
*Reply using Email:sm <Email%3Asmithlaws@publicist.com>ithrbt@yahoo.co.uk*
*
*
*Dear Sir/Madam*
*
*
*Above are my profile.*
*
*
*This inquiry involves my client Late Mr. Iman AL. Hilali who died with all
members of his family in April 20th 2011 when Pro Gaddafi Forces attacked
his family home in Misrata*
*
*
*It was brought to my knowledge that the aforementioned client died
nominated no next of kin to the title over investments made.*
*
*
*We came to know of you via the London.Global. Database.Center (L.G.D.C.)*
*Hence I am making this contact.*
*
*
*My late client who is from the oil rich Libyan country was a private oil
consultant/ contractor with shell Oil & Gas Development Company in Tripoli
before he died as the result of that crisis and war that happened in Libya..
*
*
*
*Before his death,he domiciled account with the a bank here in London,
which is having an opening balance of USD$8.8m.(Eight million Eight hundred
thousand US dollars)being resources made from his oil deals.*
*
*
*Since his death, none of his relatives or associates have come forward to
lay claims to his funds as next-of-kin,as his wife whom he made his next of
kin died along with him and on my own I have made concerted efforts to
locate any of his relatives but all proved abortive.*
*
*
*Based on the ethics and policies of the bank,it would be declared
unclaimed and taken to the treasury of the bank as capital base of the
bank, because already the account has been tagged dormant because it has
exceeded the normal functional number of year.(1 year )without any
transaction being done in the account.*
*
*
*The bank cannot release the funds from his account unless someone applies*
*for it or lays claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in
the banking guidelines.*
*
*
*Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission and assistance to present
you and have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased,so that the funds
can be released and transferred to you, as all documentations will be
carefully worked out by me for it to be released in your favor as the*
*beneficiary's next of kin, if not the members of the board of directors
will utilize it for their personal aggrandizement as unclaimed money and
shared among the directors of the bank.*
*
*
*So it is on this note I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as
the next of kin/beneficiary rather than allow the bank directors to share
it among themselves at the end of the year.*
*
*
*Note the following points;*
*
*
*The transaction is 100% risk free as bank account Management officer and
they bank knows very well that I am the attorney to the late account holder
when he was alive.*
*
*
*The money however, will be divided into 3 parts, you will take 45% of the
$8.8m, myself 50%, while 5% is set aside to offset any expenses we may
individually en cure during the transfer process.*
*
*
*That I will use part of my share to help the less privileged home,
e.g.motherless homes, handicapped homes as this are my reasons why I did
not allow the Bank Directors who are already rich, to mess up my clients
money while there are poor people in the society who needs help, I have
decided within me,to open a Charitable Organization in Memory of my late
client.*
*
*
*It may interest you to know that I have secured from the probate
commission an order of mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries.
*
*
*
*Please furnish me with the following information if you are interested .*
*
*
*1. Your Complete Names/ Address, in order for me to prepare the document
for transfer in *
*your name.*
*
*
*2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and for
easy *
*communication between both of us.*
*
*
*I await your urgent response. *
*
*
*Regards,*
*Robert Smith Esq*
*Attorney at law*
*Email: <Email%3Asmithlaws@publicist.com>**sm<Email%3Asmithlaws@publicist.com>
ithrbt@yahoo.co.uk*

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