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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 Paul Williams <drpaulwilliams49@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:20:19 +0700
Subject: WE CAN BE PARTNERS IN THIS =?UTF-8?Q?PROJECT=3F?=




From: Dr Paul Williams
Area Manager Office
Member of Employment Equity Committee
NatWest Bank of London
Email: drpaulwilliams49@gmail.com

I am Dr Paul Williams, the Area Manager Office and member of the
Employment Equity Committee of NatWest Bank of London. I got your contact
address from your country's trade journal and your impressive and
managerial profile made me to solicit for your partnership in these
regards. Frankly speaking, you are the only person that I have contacted in
this confidential business transaction with believe that you will not let
me down in this proposition. I understand that we haven't met each other
before nor speak on phone. I wish to let you know that after going through
some old files in the records I have with Equity Account Department, I
discovered that there is an account opened in this bank in 1990 and since
the year 1996, nobody has operated on this account nor reactivates it to
transfer the funds out of London.

The owner of this account is
late Mr. Jerome N. Snaga from Angola but was
residing here in London as a resident, a geologist by profession who died
since 1996 and up to date, no other person knows about this account or
anything concerning it. The account has no beneficiary because he opened it
as an investment account and my investigation proved to me that the company
where he worked before his died does not know anything about this account
and the amount involved is £12, 000,000.00 GBP (TWELVE MILLION GREAT
BRITISH POUNDS)

I need your strong assurance, trust and confidence that this fund will be
safe once we join heirs together and execute this opportunity for our
leaders of tomorrow (Our Children's). With my position now in the office
and having the certificate of deposit of the deceased fund, I can change
the Ownership of the deceased fund in your name as a Non-resident of
Britain and Next of Kin' to inherit the fund in the absence of late Mr.
Jerome N. Snaga of Angola.

I have the tendency of investing my
own share of the money in your country
under your sound supervision and management with good capital returns
according to your advice and rest assured that we are on the safer side
until we accomplished our aim immediately I change the Ownership of the
deceased fund in your name as the inheritor.

Following the above mentioned, I have decided to share with you 60-40 in
this opportunity that comes out of my department. You will be entitled to
have 40% of the fund while 60% is for me and you will assist me to invest
my share in your country immediately you agree to work with me in
finalizing this transaction. Note; you have to maintain the confidentiality
of this transaction to enable easy and smooth transfer of this money out of
London upon having the fund changed in your name as the Next of Kin.

Truly yours,

Dr Paul Williams Area Manager Office
Member of Employment Equity Committee
NatWest Bank of London
Email: drpaulwilliams49@gmail.com

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