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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: "J. Lynnwood" <jameslynnwood@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:53:12 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: CONFIRM RECEIPT

 Hello,
I am writing following an opportunity in my office that will be of immense benefit to both of us. I am Mr. James Lynnwood manager/financial consultant; in my department we discovered an abandoned large sum of money US$17.7M belonging to one of our foreign Client, a national of your country, a Geophysicist by profession who was a contractor/consultant in South Africa. On the 25th of January 2005, my client and his family (wife and three children) were involved in a boat mishap in Cape Town; the entire occupant lost their life. No body to claim the fund left behind.
 
Since then I have made several enquiries here to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to search through with his last name (Surname) which  motivated me to contact you, to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the huge fund left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank. If it continues to float in the account the government will eventually confiscate it. The Bank has assigned and issues me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his funds confiscated within the next three month.
 
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over three years now, I seek the consent to present you as the  next of kin to the deceased since you have the same last names(the same surname), so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you. Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for transfer. I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for claim.
 
All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
 
Yours sincerely,
Mr. James Lynnwood

  

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