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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: "www.londonstockexchange.com" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <luckydaynl1473@sify.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2010 21:52:23 -0500
Subject: Without Prejudice...I write

       London Stock Exchange
       10 Paternoster Square
       London EC4M 7LS
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Dear friend,
 
    I work with the investor's centre of the as the Head of Real-Time Data,
    London stock exchange (LSE)
 
    The LSE for some years now, have been dealing with some unclaimed shares and
    dividends running to the tune of 10 Million Pounds and recently my boss as at
    that time secretly decided to sell it off with the intention that the two of us
    will make use of the fund for investment outside the stock house.
    In the last quater of 2008 fiscal year, All-Share Index of the London Stock
    Exchange (LSE) rose sharply by three per cent a which resulted the rise of the
    heavily capitalized stocks and majority of other stocks traded on the floor.
 
    An American investor indicated his interest and has paid for the unclaimed shares in   Dollars and the cash
    has been received and saved in a Financial Institution here in London but unfortunately, my boss passed
    away some two months ago and the family has read his last testament (WILL)
    without mentioning anything about this cash left in the bank escrow account. So at this point,
    I was the only person that knew about this deal and where this money is, but
    since I could not do it alone.
 
    I contacted the wife of my late boss and told her all that transpired while her
    husband was alive and I was the only trusted partner who knew about this money
    because of this, she has given me the go ahead to make sure I get a trusted
    person overseas who will receive this fund and share it so that, her family will
    make use of their own share of the money to complete her husband's intention
    and his soul will rest in peace.
 
    The total amount in Dollars is US$18,000,000.00 and this amount is still
    available in an escrow account of the Financial Institution here in London. Indicate your interest by sending
    your full contact details (full name, home address, cell phone) via my private
    email. I will send you my telephone number upon your response.
    You will be given 35% of the total sum.Your co-operation is highly expected to help this
    widow and her children through their academics.
 
    Yours truly,
 
    Timothy N. Briggs
 
    Timothy N. Briggs
    Head of Real-Time Data
    London Stock Exchange(LSE)
    www.londonstockexchange.com

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