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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: "george yao" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <george.yao@yahoo.cn>
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:29:18 +0800
Subject: please read

GEORGE FIRM & ASSOCIATE
CITIC Building, 14th Floor,
B section 19 Jianguomenwai Street
Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100004, P.R.C.
Tel:+8610-63626140, Mobile:+86-13556147126



Dear Partner,


Good day, firstly, I apologize for sending you this sensitive information
via e-mail instead of a Certified mail/Post-mail. This is due to the
urgency and importance of the information. I humbly crave your indulgence to
read this e-mail with all seriousness of purpose because this project is
based on Trust, confidentiality and sincerity of purpose in order to have an
acceptable meeting of the minds. I am a forty eight years old (48) lawyer.
My name is Mr. George Yao, a solicitor and personal attorney to an expatriate and
a consultant with an American Oil company, PENNZOIL (Now deceased) He died in the
Tsunami disaster on 26th December 2004 while on vacation in Thailand.

Six years ago, My Client successfully executed a contract for the Government of China {PRC}
worth US$15.3 million dollars. A part payment of USD9.million dollars was paid to my client,
while the balance of USD6.3million Dollars was still unpaid before my client died in the Indian Ocean
Tsunami disaster. However, all my efforts to locate the possible next of kin
proved abortive. Until his sudden demise, He was not married and was
40years old.

NOW THE CRUX OF THIS E-LETTER is that the new Minister in Government
is fully paying all foreign Contractors who have successfully executed their
contracts and my client is among those benefited in this first quarter
payment schedule which has already been deposited in his bank. As his
personal attorney/Adviser, his bank has officially notified and instructed
me to forward particulars of my client's next of kin within the next 14
official working days so that he/she can be paid the outstanding USD6.3
Million dollars otherwise his payment will be diverted to the government
coffers account as unclaimed bill.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating any of his relatives, I decided
to contact you for a deal so that we can work together as a team to remit
the money to your account as my client next of kin since I do not want to
seat and watch my client hard earned entitlement to go astray, it will be
easy for us to achieve because you are of the same last name and color like
him. Although I know that a transaction of this magnitude might make anyone
apprehensive but I would like to assure you that I am proposing this project
to you with the best of intensions. As a lawyer, I have the expertise to secure
all the necessary legal documents that will be used for this claim. All I
require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a
Legitimate banking arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law.
Upon successful conclusion of this project, you will be compensated with 40%
of the total fund, while 60% will be for me.

If you are interested to work with me in this deal then kindly reply
strictly to my email with your personal Mobile number/telephone for effective
communication and oral clarification on how to proceed next thanks


Sincerely
Mr.George Yao
{Legal Adviser}

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