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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: "Scott Gatford" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sjgatford@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2015 22:53:58 -0700
Subject: RE: URGENT REQUEST!!!

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
My name is Scott Gatford I am a senior partner in the Technical Advisory Board of LLOYDS BANK and Head of Global Payments Processing. I am a private banker to (Late Christophe de Margerie), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of French oil corporation Total S.A. He died with all the crew members (Yann Pican, Maxime Rassiat and Ruslana Vervelle) in an aircraft crash in Moscow on 20 October 2014. He made a fixed deposit value of 15,000,000,00 (Fifty Million Great British Pounds Sterling) in an offshore account which was a proceed of secret oil deal with Iraqi government last year.
 
I AM THE ONLY PERSON WHO IS AWARE OF THE ACCOUNT AND BECAUSE OF THE SECRECY SURROUNDING THE OIL DEAL. He has yet to name a next of kin on the said account before he passed way I contact you independently because the account is opened in joint name to avoid trace to him. Me and him only know this secret. the name matches your name and this is why i have contact you to present you as the beneficiary of the money left in the account after his sudden death so I believe it may be of interest to you to be named the beneficiary of the GBP15,000,000,00 left in the account.
 
As his private banker, I am placed in a position to nominate you as the sole beneficiary and instruct the Bank to release the deposit to you as a business partner to late Christophe de Margerie Upon the release of the money to you,we will be able to work a 50/50 agreement to share the proceed If you can be discrete, (send me your Full Name: Occupation: Address and Telephone numbers). To enable me produce documentation for release of the funds in your name.
 
Kind regards,
Scott Gatford.

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