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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: "Barrister Adediran Benson" <adminchambers@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jun 2006 02:54:10 -0500
Subject: RE: INHERITANCE

DEAR AMARJIT ,

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE.
I RECEIVED YOUR EMAILS AND INDEED I AM VERY HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU, AND MAY
THE GOOD LORD BLESS YOU.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,IF THIS TRANSACTION IS NOT REAL, I WOULD NOT HAVE
CONCTACTED YOU. IT IS IN MY DESPERATE SEARCH FOR MY LATE CLIENTS FAMILY THAT
MADE ME TO CONTACT YOU IN THIS MANNER. ALSO I AM SORRY FOR MY DELAYED
RESPONSE, I WAS OCCUPIED WITH WORK OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE RESPONDED EARLIER.

JUDGING BY YOUR RESPONSE, I TRUST THE CONTENT OF MY EARLIER MAIL TO YOU WAS
WELL UNDERSTOOD.

LATE JOHN , WORKED HERE IN NIGERIA WITH SHELL BUT IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT HE
DIED WITH HIS FAMILY IN THE AIR CRASH, AND SINCE THEN, BEING AN EXPERTRIATE,
WHO TRAVELS FROM ONE COUNTRY TO THE OTHER, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET TO
HIS RELATIVES.
THIS TRANSACTION IS LEGALLY BACKED AS THE BANK WHERE LATE MR.JOHN LODGED
THE FUND HAS ASKED ME TO GET HIS NEXT OF KIN WHO WILL BE THE BENEFICIARY OF
THE FUND AND IF YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE, THEN I AM CORRECT IF I SAY
THAT I HAVE CONTACTED THE RIGHT PERSON.
I WILL SECURE ALL THE DOCUMENTS WITH WHICH TO CLAIM THE FUND.ALL I NEED FROM
YOU IS YOUR FULL CO-OPERATION AND TRUST,THAT YOU WILL NOT BETRAY ME WHEN
THIS FUND GETS TO YOU.
YOU WILL HAVE 50% FOR ALL YOUR ASSISTANCE, I WILL HAVE 40% WHILE 10% WILL
BE SET ASIDE FOR ANY EXPENSES INCURED AT THE COST OF THIS TRANSACTION.
PLEASE YOU SHOULD KEEP THIS TRANSACTION STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL, DO NOT
DISCLOSE TO ANY ONE UNTIL YOU HAVE THE FUND SAFELY IN YOUR POSESSION AND YOU
SHOULD DISREGARD ANY MAIL YOU GET AS A RESULT OF THIS. PLEASE THIS IS FOR
SECURITY PURPOSE.

TO START OFF THE PROCESS, I NEED THE FOLLOWING FROM YOU.

1)YOUR FULL NAMES AND ADDRESS,
2)YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE/MOBILE AND FAX NUMBERS.
3)AGE AND OCCUPATION.

AS SOON AS I GET THESE INFORMATION FROM YOU,I WILL PROCEED TO THE FEDERAL
HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE, TO SECURE THE DOCUMENTS THAT YOU WILL USE TO CLAIM
THE FUND FROM THE BANK.I WILL BE GIVING YOU INSTRUCTIONS AND DIRECTIVES
ACCORDINGLY UNTIL THE FUND GETS TO YOU.
I AM ENTRUSTING YOU WITH MY WHOLE LIFE AND DO NOT SIT ON THIS MONEY ALONE
PLEASE.
I HAVE A COPY OF THE DEPOSIT CERTIFICATE WITH ME TO PROVE TO YOU THE
VALIDITY OF THIS TRANSACTION. THIS, I WILL SEND YOU AND ALSO MY PERSONAL
PROFILES FOR YOUR PERUSAL, UPON RECEIVING YOU INFORMATION AND PERMISSION TO
PROCEED.

YOU CAN CALL ME ON MY NUMBER FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. +234-8038486198.
THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

SINCERELY,
BARR.ADEDIRAN BENSON
NB: PLEASE USE THIS ADDRESS FOR ALL OTHER RESPONSES: bar_ng_7@yahoo.com

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