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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:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "this business is hitch free " (a common phrase found 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.
  • flora_smith_0007@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: flora smith <flora_smith_0007@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 11:09:31 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: reply


FROM:The Desk of Ms FLORA SMITH.
Bill And Exchange Manager,(UBA GROUP)
(UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC)
Republic of Nigeria.
website...www.ubagroup.com


Dear Friend,
Compliments of the day. I deceided to contact you after I received a worthy information about your reliability and honesty. Hence I confide in you.

I am Ms FLORA SMITH from (UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC).During the course of our auditing we discovered the sum of twenty five million five hundred thousand united states dollars (USD$25.500.000.00) floating in an account opened in this Bank since 1997 and as from 2004 nobody has operated on this account again, and after going through some old files in the records I discovered that the owner of the account died without a trace on 10th 2004 by plane crash, hence the money is floating.

After due verification I noticed that no other person knows about this account except his wife who was also invovled in the crash, and the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that until his death he was the Director GOLD ARK PLC [SARL]Since our bank,(UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC). got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come forward and claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines and policies but up to date nobody came up to this bank as his next of kin or relative.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I and other officials in my department now decided to make this businness proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or elation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming forth and we don't want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.
On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next of kin as no one has come up as his relation. And the country law here does not allow such money to stay more than Five years, for the money will be recalled to the government treasury as unclaimed after this period.

Upon the receipt of your response, I will send to you the application form,bank's contact and the next step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be finalized within fourteen banking days, after you apply to the bank as a relation to the deceased. It has been resolved that 40% will be for you while 10% has been maped out to defray any expences that might be incured during the process of the ransaction.
Then 50% will be for me which shall be release after the funds must have
been remitted into your bank account.
When you receive this letter, kindly send me an e-mail signifying your decision.Including your private Tel/Fax numbers for quick communication. I will be very happy if you can treat this business with the utmost secrecy it demands because of my position in this bank. For confidentiality reasons,kindly reply to my private Email flora_smith_0007@yahoo.com I WISH SUccessful business relationship with you.
Best Regards,
MS FLORA SMITH

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam