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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Williams Chambers" <williams_chambers001@msn.com>
Reply-To: albertwilliams_san@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 12:04:12 +0000
Subject: SEARCHING FOR A RELIABLE PERSON

Williams Chambers,
Solicitors & Advocates.
06 BP 1409 Akpakpa Dodomey,
Lagos Nigeria.

 

Attn: Good Friend

I am Barr A Williams, an attorney at law. This mail is written to solicit your assistance to be presented as next of kin to my deceased client Mr. Ronald Lake. He made a fixed deposit valued US 9.5M,(Nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars) on September 1998 for 36 months maturity, with an intent of putting up a gold mining company here in Lagos and upon the maturity this bank started contacting him but to no avail On 31 January, 2000, my clientele along with his wife died in a plane crash of Alaska Airlines Flight number 261. You shall read more about the crash on visiting this site(http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/)
The Governing Body of the bank has contacted me on this matter, based on the fact that his supposed next of kin, happened to die in the said crash and I am yet to provide any other Next of Kin to lay claim to the fund.
 
Under a clear and legitimate agreement with you, I shall seek your consent to be presented as the next of Kin, so that the proceeds of this account now valued US 9.5 million, will be paid to you as the next of kin to Late Mr. Ronald Lake, so that the Bank will not confiscate this fund, as the banking law and guidelines here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after 6 years, the money will be transferred into the bank treasury as unclaimed fund For the sake of transparency on this matter, you are free to make immediate contact with me through my mailbox or phone line, for further information related to this matter.
Thank you very much for your anticipated acceptance while I expect your
prompt response.

Yours faithfully,
Barr A Williams

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam