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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
  • "barrister" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "accredited attorney" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • beneso20@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "MR BEN" <godwinobiego_001@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: eso_ben@sify.com
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 10:01:30 +0000
Subject: IMPORTANT MESSAGE........

Naturally, this letter will come to you as a surprise,since I am Barrister
Eso Ben contacting you to kindly assist me in the proposition below, which
will be of mutual benefit to us both.


PROPOSITION
A salvadorean, Mr. Ramirez Videurre, 66 years of age and a very prosperous
farmer made a huge bank deposit for investment in the sum of US$21.2 Million
(Twntyone.two Million, United States Dollars)he named his wife Mrs. Helga
Videurre as the NEXT OF KIN . I was called upon as an Accredited Attorney to
the bank to sign and endorse documents to this deposit on Mr. Videurre?s
behalf.Unfortunately, Mr. & Mrs. Videurre were killed in the January 14,
earthquake that rocked El Salvador ,killing thousands of people and 1200
others were declared missing. The bank management now mandates me (being the
lawyer that signed and endorsed the deposit papers for the deceased to trace
the family relatives of the deceased so that the fund will be released to
them.

I was made to understand that they had no children.I made several efforts
through the El Salvador High Commission in Lagos to contact any of the
deceased family relatives, but to no avail.Failure to reach any of the
family relatives of the deceased , the only option left for the Bank?s
Management is to declare the deceased account dormant and revert the fund on
trading and investment in the interest of the bank.In order to avoid this
development since it has so farbeen impossible to trace any of the deceased
family relatives. I now seek your permission and assistance to have you
stand as a distant relatives to the deceased. So that the fund can be
released to you and we can use it for our mutual benefit.

I hope you do understand my concern in this matteris, that if we do not use
this opportunity to claim this fund , since the deceased relatives cannot be
traced,the management of the bank will declare the deceased?s account
dormant and revert the fund on Trading and Investment in the interest of the
bank.For your assistance, you will be compensated adequately with(40%) of
the total sum (55%) will be my own share while (5%) will be set aside to
coverany incidental expense made both at home and abroad prior to this
transaction.If you are interested in assisting me with this matter, please
send to me urgently via my EMAIL the following details below:


Your Full Name: ___________________________

Your Complete Address:_____________________________

Name of City of Residence: ____________________

Date of Birth (Day/Month/Year):____________________

Direct Telephone Number:_____________________

mobile Number: ____________________________


Fax Number:____________________________________



Upon receiving the above details from you, I will work out every
documents/proof representing you as the deceased BONA-FIDE distant relative
and when this is done, you will be contacted by the bank for the release and
collection of this fund, which will be within one week of my receiving the
above detailsfrom you .I will meet with you in your country for disbursement
after the fund might have been released to you and also to discuss
investment potentials as I will like to invest in your country with your
assistance.Be assured that this transaction is 100% risk free,asI have taken
care of all necessary modalities to enable a hitch free transaction.Kindly
ensure to treat this matter in strict privacy(Highly Confidential).
yours sincerely
Barrister Eso Ben

Direct Email:beneso20@yahoo.co.uk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam