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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: "Thom Ronald" <thom_ronald1@msn.com>
Reply-To: thomronald@portugalmail.com
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 10:19:24 +0000
Subject: RE: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS CO-OPERATION


Dear Sir / Madam ,

RE: REQUEST FOR URGENT BUSINESS CO-OPERATION .

I am Barrister Thom Ronald ,the legal adviser to late Mr. Williams & the
wife , British couple that lived here in London for 25 years before they
both died bomb explosion back in Liverpool London last year .

I seek your coperation in securing a certain amount of money left in British
bank by a Britsh/German ,who died a couple of months on bomb explosion
back in Liverpool London . I am his lawyer and I know every details
concerning this funds , totalling Nine million , Eight hundred thousand
British Pounds GBP9.8 Million )

The late Mr. Williams has been my client for over ten years . All I need is
your unresolved consent to affix your name as the Next Of kin to this
account as the bank has already been notified of his death .

I seek a trusted person with the same name.

I shall disclose every pertinent details concerning this transaction as
soon as I receive a go ahead from you .

Please call me as soon as you receive this mail .

Please note that I have chosen you for this ,because of the similarities in
your second name.

Barrister Thom Ronald .


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