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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: "Ben Maxwell" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:31:32 -0000
Subject: YOUR SWIFT RESPONSE!!

From Nat west Bank Plc
Head of Foreign Operation
12 Throgmorton Avenue
Drapers Gardens
London EC2N 2DL
United Kingdom

Esteemed Compliments,

I anticipate that you read this mail quickly and let me know your opinion or willingness on this classified information that I am releasing to you.

Firstly, I am a happily married British Citizen with 3 kids and therefore I would not want to jeopardize this opportunity to change my financial status that will give me and my family a secured future.

I have packaged a financial transaction that will benefit both of us,as the Branch Manager of the Nat West Bank Plc, It is my duty to send in a financial report to my Head Office in the capital city London at the end of each year.

On the course of the last two years report (2009-2010), I discovered that my Branch in which I am the Manager made a proceed of (£14,200,000.00)( Fourteen Million, Two Hundred Thousand British Pounds Sterling).

which my Head Office are not aware of and will never be aware about.Have since place this fund on what we call Suspense Account without any beneficiary. As an Officer of the bank I am not directly connected to the fund, this is why I am contacting you for us to work so that you can assist in receiving this money into your Bank Account for us to SHARE, while you will be entitle to 35% of the total fund.

Note there are practically no risk involved, it will be bank to bank transfer, all I need from you is to stand as the Original Depositor of this fund who made the deposit with our branch so that my Head Office can order the transfer to your designated Bank Account.

You are only required to provide the following information as stated below for the claim of this fund,

Your name and address:
Telephone and fax number:
Age and Occupation:
Any Form of identity:

The stated information above will enable you have all legal backing to the claim of this fund,Kindly initiate the first response to enable me give you detailed information about this transaction.
Await your prompt response

Sincerely

Ben Max
Head of Natwest Bank Plc

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