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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: "alex nkosi" <alexnkosi2001@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2005 20:40:56 +0000
Subject: GO THROUGH THESE

Dear friend

I have a proposal for you, this however is not mandatory nor will I in any
manner compel you to honor it if it is against your will and also I am sorry
for contacting you through this medium but I feel it is more
confidential .

I am Barrister Alex Nkosi of Johannesburg South Africa, and a personal
attorney to one Mr. Morris Thompson holding a dual citizenship of the United
States Of America and the Republic of South Africa. Mr.Morris Thompson
accomplished series of contracts in the republic of South Africa as a
registered civil contractor category ?E? from 1995 and
received a number of payments normally in form of Cash. Unfortunately he met
his death in an Alaska Airlines Flight 261.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
More details about the deceased himself, you can check on
(http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html)

Upon this development I was called upon by the financial authorities in
South Africa ( South African National Treasury) to present a beneficiary
to Mr. Morris Thompson as the sum of US$9.5Million( Nine Million Five
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)is due to be paid to him. This is
borne from the fact that Mr. Morris Thompson did not include any beneficiary
or next of kin in the documents available to the South
African financial authorities.

I am hereby contacting you so that I can present you as the beneficiary or
the next of kin to Mr. Morris Thompson. Bear in mind that all relevant
documents relating to Mr. Morris Thompson contracts are intact with me and
would be used as at when required.

Bear in mind that this transaction is 100% risk free and I would advise that
it requires total confidentiality. I would be expecting a response
from you and please forward your dire! ct contact details like:

Direct Tel ?
Direct Fax ?
Physical Address ?
For your assistance in this transaction I would be wiling to give you 35% of
the total sum and the rest 65% would be for me. As soon as the transaction
is accomplished and the amount remitted to you/your account,
I would travel down to your country for my share of the total sum. Please
get back to me urgently with the requirements so that we can have a
comprehensive communication on this regard.

(PLEASE SEND YOUR REPLY TO alexkosi2001@yahoo.co.uk )

Yours faithfully,

Barrister Alex Nkosi.
Sandton Johannesburg,
South Africa


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