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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: Mabena Lucas <anna.diesner@neostrada.pl>
Reply-To: mabenalucas@hotmail.co.uk
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:18:09 +0100
Subject: Kindly read and reply.

From: Mr. Mabena Lucas,
Level 9 (G2), Main Office Tower
Judiciary Park Complex
21 Rue de Blvd, Decon
Lome Togo.
 
Good Day,
Do accept my sincere apologies if my mail does not meet your personal ethics although, I wish to use this medium to get in touch with you because of it's fastest means.
I am Mr. Mabena Lucas, the account officer to late Mr. Alan Williams at the Banque Atlantique Togo, who died of Air Crash in Tanzania, for more information, go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tanzania/1501084/Tycoon-dies-with-family-in-Tanzania-safari-plane-crash.html
 
I am contacting you to seek your corporation to stand in as a next of kin to my late customer's deposit of US$17,200,000.00 (Seventeen Million Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars.) as all possible knowledge of this deposit to my clients relatives died along with him and his family and no one is listed to claim the account balance. As the account officer, I can turn this around if you are ready to corporate with me to get this fund transferred to a foreign account which I will want you to provide. This is 100% risk free as long as we handle it together as trusted Partners.
On confidence of patent recovering, I will give you more information, hence you will corporate with my due understanding and knowledge of bringing this claim to a best conclusion. For further correspondence and confirmation, I will furnish you with detailed clarification on receipt of your response. Please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this claim would be most profitable for both of us.
I look forward hearing from you as soon as you read my message. Please reply to my private email on (mabenalucas@hotmail.co.uk)
 
Regards,
Mr. Mabena Lucas.

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