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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: Kenneth Williams <barristerlg4@gmail.com>
Reply-To: kenwf20@gmx.com
Date: Sat, 11 Jun 2016 08:46:22 -0700
Subject: From Kenneth Williams

From: Kenneth Williams.
Sir/Madam

Don't be surprised to receive this letter from me since you don't know
me in person, i saw your profile through international website
directory and i decided to call on you for this purpose. My name is
Kenneth Williams and my younger sister Juliet Williams.We are the only
two children of late chief Gen. Alexander Williams.and Mrs Theresa
Onome Williams. My father was a highly reputable cocoa and gold
merchant also has shipping company. He was a business man who operated
in the capital cities of Burkina Faso ,Cote D'voire and the republic
of Liberia during his days.My father decided to face this business
after his retirement from the army in 1995.

It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in Liberia civil war
during one of his business trips abroad on the 12th September 2004.
Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been
masterminded by an uncle of his who traveled with him at that time.
But God knows the truth..

After his death,our uncle who was suspected to be responsible for our
father's death started pursuing my mother in other to take our
father's wealth. Because of this our mother called me to inform me
that my father has the sum of Eighteen Million United State
Dollars.(US$18,000,000.00) in his foreign account in Cotonou Benin
Republic. She further told me that in case she died that i should know
that my father deposited the money with my name as his next of kin
since i am his only son and also gave me all the necessary legal
documents that back up the fund with the bank.

Our mother having encountered all this problem with our uncle decided
and take me and my sister to Cotonou Benin Republic were this money
was deposited by our late father. As a result of the sudden death of
our father and all the problem that our mother was having with our bad
uncle,on our arrival to Cotonou, our mother started developing
hypertension which caused her death.Now i and my younger sister are
alone in this country Cotonou without any body to care for us. Since
our bad uncle is after our lives, we decided that we can not go back
to our country again as our mother is not there for us again.

I am 22 years old and a university undergraduate and really don't know
what to do here in this country. with due respect ,i am contacting you
to seek your good assistance to help me claim and receive this money
in your private bank account in any part of the world where this funds
can be transferred to.And after the transfer you can help us to invest
this money in any profitable business venture in your country as we
will be happy to live with you as one family. I will also want you to
make arrangement for me and my younger sister Juliet to come over to
your country in other to further our university education and to
secure a residential permit for us in your country. The death of my
parent's actually has just brought sorrow to our life's

Moreover,I will also like to invest the fund under your care because I
am ignorant of business world. Meanwhile, I am willing to offer you
20% of the total sum as compensation for your assistance in the
transfer of this deposit to your country. Immediately I confirm your
willingness, I will inform you more details involved in this transfer.

Thanks and hoping to hear from you soonest.

sincerely your's

Kenneth Williams

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