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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: "Ms Cindy Bernet" <cindy@fcmb.com>
Reply-To: cindy_bernet@8u8.com
Date: 5 Apr 2010 19:19:33 -0400
Subject: Great Prospect

I want you to know that my reason for contacting you is very important.
Please take this seriously. All I want is a Honest business transaction
with you. I will start by introducing my self. My name is Ms Cindy Bernet,
I am an Accountant with First City Monument Bank Nigeria Plc. I have been
working with the First City Monument Bank of Nigeria for the past 8 years.
I am 34 years of age. Am dark in complexion, 5:9" tall. The details of my
proposal and the reason why I contacted you is very important.i am an
account officer to a client who died, He used to work with the Shell
Petroleum Development Company here in Nigeria, as an Expatriate.
Unfortunately, on the 21 April 2005, My client, his wife, and their three
children were involved in a car accident along Lagos/Ibadan expressway,
Lagos. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives. Since
his death I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my
clients extended Relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these
several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the
Internet, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

My bank has issued me several notice to provide the Next of Kin being that
I am his personal Account before his death. The last notice for claim came
to my desk three days ago. I have been notified to provide a next of kin to
claim the funds or the account confiscated within the next ten official
working days. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and
property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the bank. For the fact that I have been unsuccessful in
locating the relatives for over 3 years now, I seek your consent to present
you as the next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last name so
that the proceeds of this account valued at $3,472,000 Million US Dollars
can be paid to you, then you and I can share the money 50% to me and 50% to
you, after claiming the funds.

This project will be of great benefit to us. As a matter of fact, an
attorney will be contracted to help us revalidated and notarize all the
necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may
make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this
deal through. I guarantee you that this will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. I am willing
to send you more information for you to understand better.

I will send you some important information in my next email. As soon as I
hear from you, I will direct you further on the legal procedure to claim
the funds.

Thanks for cooperation,
Ms.Cindy Bernet

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