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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: "William Baker" <williambaker001@msn.com>
Reply-To: williamsbaker002@yahoo.it
Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 22:59:14 +0000
Subject: PRIVATE INFORMATION!!

STANDARD BANK LONDON
5TH FLOOR CANNON BRIDGE HOUSE
25 DOWGATE HILL LONDON
EC4R 2SB UNITED KINGDOM.



GOOD DAY TO YOU,

MY NAME IS MR.WILLIAMS BAKER, WORKING WITH THE MINING
FINANCE DEPT. WITH STANDARD BANK LONDON.

WE HAD A FOREIGN CUSTOMER. ANDREAS SCHRANNER. WHO DEPOSITED A HUGE SUM OF
MONEY WITH OUR BANK, WHO LATER DIED IN THE CONCORDE PLANE CRASH OF MONDAY,
31 JULY ,2000. BEFORE HIS DEATH, HE TRANSFERED THE SUM OF US$5.5M (FIVE
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED SATES DOLLARS) TO A BANK IN AMSTERDAM,
HOLLAND.


SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY HAVE
WATCHED WITH KEEN INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED
ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF US$5.5M (FIVE MILLION
FIVEHUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS)I FURTHER INVESTIGATED,THE RESULT
OF MY INVESTIGATION WAS THATHE DIED WITHOUT MAKING A WILL AND ALL ATTEMPTS
TO TRACE HIS NEXT OF KIN WAS FRUITLESSWHICH HAS BEEN WITH THE BANK IN
HOLLAND FOR A VERY LONG TIME. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHO TO
FRONT
AS THE NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY`S FOREIGN TRADE
MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED BY PROVIDENCE THAT YOU COULD BE FRONT AS THE
NEXT OF KIN.

THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED
BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND SOMEBODY IN LONDON CANNOT
STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO OUR LATE CUSTOMER. YOU CAN VIEW THE WEBSITE TO
SEE FOR YOUR SELF HOW. MR.NDREAS SCHRANNER.DIED WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm


I AGREED THAT US$1 MILLION OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR
YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER FOR PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT, WHILE THE REST WILL BE
FOR ME, THEREAFTER, I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT AS I AM
ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

THEREFORE, TO FACILITATE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF
THIS FUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS A
RELATION TO THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND FAX
NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND YOU THE NEXT STEP BY FAX OR
E-MAIL.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH-FREE AND
THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS
BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER.


YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU RECIEVE THIS EMAIL

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YOURS RESPECTFULLY,
WILLIAMS BAKER



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