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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: "Howarth Maitland Solicitors"<howarthmaitlandsolicitors@rocketmail.com>
Reply-To: <howarthmaitlandsolicitors@ymail.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 18:56:58 +0100
Subject: BEQUEST

Howarth Maitland Solicitors
18 Silver Street, Bury, Lancashire.
BL9 0ER United Kingdom
Tel: +44 703 190 4877
: +44 703 192 2999
: +44 703 193 2758
Fax: +44 871 264 2104
Email: howarthmaitlandsolicitors@ymail.com


Attention:


On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of Late Engr. Mohammed Madij. I once again try to notify you as my earlier letter were returned undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you again by this same email address on the WILL. I wish to notify you that Late Engr.Mohammed Madij made you a beneficiary to his WILL. He left you 15% of some funds amounting to Thirty Million, One Hundred Thousand Dollars (USD$30, 100.000.00) to you in the Codicil and last testament to his WILL.

This may sound strange and unbelievable to you, but it is real and true. Being a widely traveled man, he must have been in contact with you in the past or simply you were nominated to him by one of his numerous friends abroad who wished you good. Late Engr.Mohammed Madij until his death was a member of the Helicopter Society and the Institute of Electronic & Electrical Engineers. His great philanthropy earned him numerous awards during his life time. Late Engr.Mohammed Madij died on the 13th day of December, 2004 at the age of 80 years, and his WILL is now ready for execution. According to him this money is to support your humanitarian activities and to help the poor and the needy in our society. Please if I reach you as I am hopeful, endeavor to get back to me as soon as possible to enable me conclude my job. I hope to hear from you in no distant time.


Yours in Service,

Barrister Martin Byrom
Howarth Maitland Solicitors
18 Silver Street, Bury, Lancashire.
BL9 0ER United Kingdom

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