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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: "Larry WILLIAM" <larrywill70@yahoo.com.hk>
Reply-To: "Larry WILLIAM" <larrywill2222@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:38:08 -0700
Subject: GREETINGS.



Greetings,

I knew this is an unconventional way of establishing a relationship due to high volume of scam emails nowadays. However, I write you in good faith, hoping that you will treat this letter as a desperate search for transaction that shall benefit us.

My name is Larry Williams from United States of America; I am working in the Engineering Military Unit here in Al-Hadar, in Southern Baghdad. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to you.

I have some amount of funds that I need your assistance to move out of the country. Hope I can entrust this to you? It is fund from Oil transaction and the funds are legal. Basically since I am working for the government I cannot handle this fund transfer by myself, I want to transfer the funds to you, so that you can keep it for me in your safe account or an offshore account. I have two [2] options whereby we will handle this transaction either by Diplomatic means that is to send it to your home address directly OR we handle it through the bank to bank transfer via online banking system.

Therefore I would like to be sure of your willingness, trustworthiness and commitment to execute this transaction with me, I cannot afford to compromise these virtues considering the money involved, it is necessary for me to be sure of the person to whom I will be entrusting this transaction, and my trust is not given out lightly. Once the funds get to you, the money will be paid into your account for us to share; I will want you to draw up the sharing ratio which you will feel satisfied working with me on this transaction. Your own part of this deal is to find a safe place where the funds can be sent to. My own part is sending it to you. There is no risk at all as all the paperwork for this transaction to ensure will be done by me. If you are interested I will furnish you with more details.

But the whole process is simple and we must keep a low profile at all times.

Waiting for your urgent response via my private email: larrywill72@rediffmail.com

Regards,

Larry William.

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