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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: Tony Ken Johnson <tonyjohnsonxx@fsmail.net>
Reply-To: tonyjohnson775@fsmail.net
Date: Wed, 10 May 2006 22:28:01 +0200
Subject: INVITATION TO ACT AS NEXT OF KIN


Mr. Tony Ken Johnson
Santander Bank Spain
4/6 vincente Martin
28090 Madrid
Madrid-Spain
10-05-2006
I am Mr Tony Ken Johnson in charge of bills and foreign exchange remittance Department of Santander Bank Spain. I am writing you this letter to ask for your support and co-operation to
carry out this business opportunity in my department.
We discovered an unclaimed sum of $7.5Million (Seven million fivehundred thousand dollars) in an account belonging to one of our customer, who died in a plane crash with the entire family in year 2003. Since we got information about his death we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money.
Unfortunately, neither the family nor the relation has appeared to claim this money. We cannot release this money unless somebody applies as the next of kin or relation to the deceased.
Our banking guidelines indicated that if such money remained unclaimed for a period of four (4) years, it would be transferred into the Santander Bank Treasury as unclaimed fund.
Another officer and I in the department now decided to transfer this money into your account as the next of kin or relation of the deceased for easy collection since nobody is coming for it and we dont want this money to go back into the bank treasury as an unclaimed fund.
Infact it is my friend that advised me to urgently arrange to transfer out this money through another foreign beneficiary outside the country.Upon your acceptance to this proposal,we have also agreed on a sharing Ration:
1.40% for you as the account owner
2.60% for I and my colleagues
Furthermore we shall be coming over to your country when the money is finanlly in your account and we shall be relying on your advise as regards,to investment of our share,be informed that this transaction is genuine and 100% risk free considering the top level bank officials involved.
As you know that I enjoy good office here with the bank and I will use my personality to make the official application on your behalf for approval of this money into your nominated account thereby having the bank transfer this money into your bank account.
I will advice that you furnish me with the necessary details for me to make the official application of claim on your behalf as the next of kin and beneficiary of this money with
out wasting time. Here are the details I will need to make the application.
(1)Your Full Name.
(2)Your Contact Address.
(3Your phone & Fax Number for effective communication.
(4)Age, & Occupation.
(5)Religion.
This is to effect the swift transfer of this fund into your account in less than (7) working days.
Waiting for your urgent response.
Regards,
Mr Tony Ken Johnson,
PLS REPLY TO (tonyjohnson775@fsmail.net)
Direct Tel: 0034-697-434-571

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