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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: "Bar. Thomas Malcolm (Esq.)" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <thomasmalcolm11@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 19:49:44 +0430
Subject: From: Bar. Thomas Malcolm (Esq.)

MALCOLM CHAMBERS
E-mail:thomasmalcolm11@yahoo.com.hk
From: Bar. Thomas Malcolm (Esq.)

I am Barrister Thomas Malcolm personal Attorney to Ronald Lake, On the 31st Of January 2000, my client and his wife Joyce Lake were involved in a Plane Crash (Alaska Airlines Flight 261) all passengers unfortunately lost Their lives, since then I have made several enquiries to locate any of My client’s extended relatives but this proved unsuccessful.

You can read more about there death on this website below:
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
Since it is not compulsory that the Next-of-Kin must be a blood Relation to the deceased, hence I contacted you, be informed that a Next-of-Kin can be anybody, friends or organization etc.

Presently, the Bank where the deceased (my client) had a Deposit valued At US$10, 500, 000.00 Million issued me a notice to provide the Next-of-Kin to my client to receive its benefit or have the account Confiscated, so I have contacted you to assist me in repatriating this
benefit left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank.

To this effect, I now seek your consent to present you to the Bank as The Next-of-Kin of the deceased (my Client) so that the proceeds of This Benefit valued at US$10, 500, 000.00 Million can be paid to you and then you and I can share it; 50% to me, 40% to you, while 10% should be given to any Orphanage Home. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Please get in touch with me via E-mail: thomasmalcolm11@yahoo.com.hk
with the Below details immediately you acknowledge the good receipt of this
Message.

Full Name:
Full Address:
Tel Number:
Fax Number:
Mobile Number:
Private Email:
Occupation:
Country of Origin:
Marital Status:
Age:
Sex:

Your prompt response is highly imperative.

Yours sincerely,
Bar. Thomas Malcolm (Esq.)
Malcolm Chambers.

Anti-fraud resources: