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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: "Dr Willison Van" <willis21k@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: willis22k@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:36:03 +0100
Subject: GOOD DAY

Dear Friend,
My name is Dr Willison Van, am the branch
and computer management department here
confidential business proposition for you.
On october 6, 2002, an American Geologist/Contractor with the Economic
Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. George W.Brumley From
Atlanta,U.S.A Deposited the sum of US$15,500,000.00 ( Fiften million Five
hundred thousand Dollars only) in my bank. Upon maturity,I sent aroutine
notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month,we
sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers,the
Economic Community Of West Africa States (ECOWAS) that Dr George W.Brumley
died in a plane crash with his intire family in Kenya,East Africa in the year 2003.
I want you to visit the website below for more information about the PlaneCrash:
<http://www.wral.com/news/2345844/detail.html>
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html>
I therefore made further investigation and discovered that In the bank form
for next of kin, George W.Brumley Before his death filled his wife JEAN
BRUMLEY as his next of kin but unfortunately, the wife died with him along
others and therefore, there is nobody left behind to claim the fund of
Dr. George Brumley as his next of kin that was why I contacted you and
proposed it as a deal between us.
Meanwhile, Official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my
Bank as the next of kin was in the name of his wife. Based on that, No one
will ever come forward to claim itI will like to seek foryour
permission as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Dr.George W.Brumley
so that the fruits of this old man's labor will not be use for financing
weapons which will further enhance the courses of war in the world in general.
The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the ratio of 55%
for me and 40% for you and 5% for Expenses Incurred in the course of the
transaction.There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this
transaction will be done accordingly and with my position as the bill the
exchange guarantees the successful execution of this transaction.
if you are interested, please reply immediately
address: by indicating your address, Account number,
phone and fax number for easy communication. Upon your response, I shall then
provideyou with more details and that will help you understand the transaction
Finally, You should observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that
this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall
require your assistance to invest my share in your country.
Anxiously Awaiting for your urgent response.
Thanks and best regards to your family.
FROM Dr Willison Van



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