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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Harson Dogbe" <harsondogbe@rediffmail.com>
Date: 12 Dec 2006 14:50:51 -0000
Subject: From Dr Harson Dogbe.


From Dr Harson Dogbe.Chief Credit Officer (CCO),Union Bank Plc&nbsp;Dear&nbsp; ,My name is Dr Harson Dogbe. Chief Credit Officer (CCO),Union Bank. Sorry to have to bump on you like this. Please dont be offended. When you get bacK to me i would explain how i came about your coordinates. On December 6, 2000, a Foreigner, Mr.Peter lee, made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for twelve calendar months, valued at $9,000,000.00,u.s dollars. in my branch. Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, I sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his employers, that Mr. lee died from an automobile accident. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making a Will, and all attempts to trace his next of kin was fruitless. I therefore made checks and found out that Mr.Peter lee did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Deposit paperwork here.
From past experiences, I know that no one will ever come forward to claim the deceased funds. According to my country Laws, at the expiration of 5 (five) years, the funds will be Unclaimed and revert to the ownership of the State if nobody applies to claim the fund. In order to avert this development, I in conjunction with a colleague (the Chief Operating Officer in the bank) now seek your permission to allow an attorney do a backdated WILL in your name, so that the funds would be released to you as the new owner (on behalf of me and my colleague). We are writing you because, as public servants, we cannot operate a foreign account or have an account that is more than Five Hundred thousand in my country\'s currency.
Consequently, I will present you as the owner of the funds so you can be able to claim them with the help of an attorney. This is simple. I will like you to provide immediately your: FULL NAMES/FULL CONTACT ADDRESS/PHONE/FAX NUMBERS, so that an Attorney will prepare the necessary papers which will put you in place as the new owner. It will then be released to you, for us to split. The Attorney will do all the paperwork and this will guarantee everything. Upon your response, I shall then provide you with more details and further explanation that will help you understand.Note also that we shall require your assistance to invest our share in your country. (Buying of properties like houses, hotels etc).
Thanks and regards.
Dr Harson Dogbe.

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