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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

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:
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• 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.
  • williams_poulyn@yahoo.it (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Williams Poulyn <williams_poulyn@yahoo.it>
Date: 22 Aug 2006 18:05:01 -0000
Subject: COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON 2006

Content-Type: text/plain

Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit




FROM THE DESK OF WILLIAMS POULYN

THE HEAD OF FILE DEPARTMENT, UNION

BANK OF NIGERIA(UBN)

LAGOS NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA.

PLANE CRASH WEB

SITE...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm.



("REMITTANCE OF $10.5MILLION U.S.A DOLLARS

CONFIDENTIAL IS THE CASE")



COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON 2006,



I AM (WILLIAMS POULYN),HEAD OF FILE DEPARTMENT & DEBT RECOVERING IN

UNION BANK OF NIGERIA LOCATION IN LAGOS,NIGERIA IN WEST AFRICA.



FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION.THIS IS BY

VIRTUE OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET.

HOWEVER AFTER SERIES OF PETITION WAS RECIEVED BY THIS PRESENT REGIME

FROM FOREIGN CONTRACTORS AND INABILITY OF THE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA

TO FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATION FOR THE PAYMENT TO ITS FOREIGN

CREDITORS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, THEY MANDATED US TO CARRY OUT A CAREFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ALL OVERDUE PAYMENTS TO FOREIGN CONTRACTORS AND TO EFFECT PAYMENTS IMMEDIATELY.



DURING THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROCESS, WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF

US$10.5M (TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT

THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS

ENTIRE FAMILY IN A PLANE CRASH THAT HAPPENED IN (MONDAY 31ST JULY

2000).SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNLESS SOME BODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES AND LAWS BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE LEARNT THAT ALL HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION DIED ALONGSIDE WITH HIM AT THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM.



IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY THAT I AND OTHER OFFICIALS IN MY

DEPARTMENT NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND

RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.



I AGREE THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER, IN

RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT,AND 60% WOULD BE FOR ME,

WHILE 10% WILL BE FOR EXPENSES INCURE DURING THE TRANSACTION. THERE

AFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE

PERCENTAGE INDICATED.THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHEREIN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.



UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY EMAIL THE TEXT OF

THE APPLICATION TO FILL AND SEND TO THE BANK. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING

TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH-FREE RISK AND THIS

TRANSACTION WILL ONLY TAKE US 14 BANKING DAYS BECAUSE AS A BANKER, I KNOW WHAT TO DO AND MOVE THE FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHOUT ANY DELAY AND THATYOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER.



YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER ON MY

ALTERNATIVE EMAIL (williams_poulyn@yahoo.it)SO THAT I WILL SEND YOU THE

TEXT OF THE APPLICATION TO APPLY TO THE BANK AND THE DATA INFORMATION OF THE DECEASED .



YOUR'S FAITHFULLY,

WILLIAMS POULYN

FROM UNION BANK OF NIGERIA.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam