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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: offical alert <officialalert01@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 04:18:10 +0800
Subject: PROCUDERE

Brian Timothy.
1/4, Parade Monarch Way
Ilford IG2 7HT,
United Kingdom.

Our Ref: GH/MG/P01/6834/01/014.

Dear Friend

I would like to solicit for your cooperation in a deal that involves the
transfer of US $12.6 million to your account for investment projects in
your country.

Introduction: My name is Brian Timothy, a lawyer by profession. I am the
personal attorney to Mr. Mikie Gould, a national of Portugal, who worked
with Nautical Petroleum Plc in UK, hereinafter shall be referred to as my
client.

On the 21st of April 2009, my client, his wife and their only daughter were
involved in a car accident along the M4 Western Motorway. All occupants of
the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since then I have made several
efforts to find any of his relatives but has been unsuccessful.

Business Proposal: Before his death, he deposited US $12.6 million in a
Financial Firm (name withheld). After these several unsuccessful efforts, I
decided to contact you because the Financial Firm has issued me a notice to
present his Next of Kin within the next 30 official working days or have
the funds declared unserviceable and returned to the treasury as unclaimed
in accordance with existing law/policy here in the UK. Since I have been
unsuccessful in finding his relatives for over 4 years now, I am actually
asking for your consent to present you to the Financial Firm as the Next of
Kin and business partner to late Mikie Gould, so that the funds will be
paid to you and then you and I can share the money.

I shall provide all the legal documents if required to back up your claim
as Next of Kin to late Mikie. All I require from you is your honest
co-operation to enable us achieve this transaction. This proposition is
entirely risk free and I will use my position as attorney to late Mikie to
help you procure all the required legal papers which will give you full
legal protection anywhere in the world.

Note: You may not be anyway related to my late client but I assure you that
all would be put in place in accordance with the Law to legally present you
as the Next of Kin to late Mikie and true beneficiary of the funds so that
the money will be paid to us. I am considering this arrangement because I
don't want the funds to be returned as unclaimed. I have decided to give
10% of the funds to charity, while the remaining will be shared equally
between us.

If you are interested in this proposal, could you get back to me via e-mail
braintimothy83@gmail.com or telephone 447511674883 to enable us discuss in
a more vivid manner to the best of your understanding. Should you have any
question, you can call me for further discussion?

Conclusion: The intended transaction will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement. However, if this business proposition offends your moral
ethics, do accept my sincere apology.

Thanks. I await your positive response soon.

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