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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "Peter Austine" <drpeteraustine@msn.com>
Reply-To: drpeteraustine@myway.com
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 03:04:14 +0000
Subject: ILOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT REPLY

FROM DR PETERAUSTINE
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT,
BANK OF AFRICA,
COTONOU-BENIN REPBLIC



DEAR:FRIEND,

MY NAME IS DR PETERAUSTINE, A BANKER BY PROFESSION ANDCURRENTLYA DIRECTOR
WITH BANK OF AFRICA COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC BRANCH.

I GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS IN MY SEARCH FOR A REPUTABLE ANDRELIABLE PERSON
TO HELP ME CLAIM THE SUM OF UD$15 MILLION UNITEDSTATES DOLLARS DEPOSITED IN
OUR BANK BY ONE OF OUR CUSTOMER WHO DIE WITHTHE WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN ONTHE
21ST DAY OFAPRIL 2000 IN A CAR CLASH ALONG
NOVESSELROAD.

SINCE HIS DEATH NO ONE HAS COME UP AS HIS NEXT OF KIN AND ALL OUREFFORTS TO
LOCATE ANY MEMBER OF HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY HAS PROVE ABORTIVE THATWAS WHY I
DECIDED TO SEE IF I CAN GET ANYBODY WHO HAS THE SAME SURNAMEORLASTNAME WITH
HIM VIA INTERNET PREFERABLY SOME ONE OF THE SAME NATIONALITY
WITHHIM WHICH I BELIEVE YOU HAVE ALL THE QUALITIES WE NEED.

WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU IS TO PRESENT YOU TO OUR BANK AS THE NEXT OF
KINTOOUR DECEASED COSTUMER HE WAS A DRILLING CONTRACTOR WITH SOME
OILCOMPANIESHERE IN WEST FRICA,BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SAME SURNAME/LAST
NAMEWITH HIM
AND HE IS FROM THESAME COUNTRY WITH YOU.SO IT WILL BE MOREACCEPTABLE
ANDWISER TO PRESENTYOU THROUGH PAPER WORK TO THE BANK FOR THECLAIM OF
THETOTAL FUND.

I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS THAT THE BANK MAYREQUESTFROM
YOU AND FOLLOW UP THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTO YOUR A/C ASANINSIDER.IT WILL
INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT I AND MY PARTNERS HASBEENKEEPING OUR EYES ON THIS
FUNDS AND HAS PUT THE ACCOUNT BLIND ANDCOVEREDTO THE PUBLIC BY KEEPING THE
ACCOUNT DORMANT TO ENABLE OUR PLANS
FOR THEFUNDS TO COME THROUGH AND THIS IS THE TIME AND WE ARE HAPPYTOLOCATE
YOUFOR THE PERFECTION OF THE TRANSFER OF THE FUND INTOYOURNOMINATED BANKA/C
TO BE GIVEN.

AS SOON AS I GET YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE I WILL UPDATE YOU ABOUT
THEMODEOFDISBURSEMENT AND WE WILL ALSO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
INVESTINGINYOURCOUNTRYAS A WAY TO OF HELPING YOU PEOPLE WHO SUPPOSE
ARETHEORIGINALOWNERS OFTHIS FUNDS . LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT
RESPONSEBYUPDATINGME WITHYOUR DIRECT TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY
COMMUNICATION.YOURS SPECIALLY
(CONTACT ME IN THIS MAILBOX;DR PETERAUSTINE@MYWAY.COM)
BEST REGARDS

DRPETERAUSTINE.


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