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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: "THORBURN DAVE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <davidthor3@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:23:40 -0800
Subject: "DEAL"XKJCTHYMEL

I would respectfully request that you keep the content of this mail Confidential
and respect the integrity of the information you come by as aresult of this
mail.

I contact you independently and no one is aware of this communication.
My names are David Thorburn, Bank Operations Manager, Clydesdale Bank.
I am contacting you about a deceased customer of my Bank with similarlast name
as yours(names withheld for security reasons) , I was privileged to be his account
officer 8 years ago when a financial instrument now valued at 35 Million United States
Dollars($35,000,000.00) was deposited into a fixed deposit account in his name.
This fund according to our records was from the sale of an oil well which he co-owned
in the middle east, at that time.

As account officer, I was in charge of his account and at the time of setting up this
account, he was indecisive as to whom to name as next of kin, hence he insisted that I
kept the column for next of kin blank pending his decision, this I did reluctantly as it
is against the ethics of my profession.

After a few years we did not hear from him again and management had to make inquiries
as to his whereabouts, we found out that he died of a heart attack in Cannes, South of
France, sometime in 2008.

I received the news of his demise with mixed feelings as I knew that this was an
opportunity for me to make it big in life because I have full and complete access to his
account file and other information.

What I propose is that since I have exclusive access to his file, I will name you as
Next of kin to this client hence the sole beneficiary of these funds and together we
will work to see that this money is transferred to you.

I will use my good office as a current senior management staff of my bank to ensure
that this is done as soon as possible because in the banking circle this happens often
times. If we do not utilize this opportunity now, the money will be reverted to the
state treasury after a certain period of time.

I know this might be a bit heavy for you but please trust me on this as I am
currently a manager in the Bank hence I cannot do this on my own without raising an eye
brow this is why I need a partner, but I assure you that it is 100% risk free.
For all your troubles I propose that we split the money in equal halves.
Nobody will get hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEYto
these funds, and as a British National we see so much cash and funds beingre-assigned every other

day.
Please note: I am a family man; I have a wife and kids. I sent you
this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I knowwithin
me that &ldquo;nothing ventured is nothing gained&rdquo; and that &ldquo;success and
richesnever come easy or on a platter of gold&rdquo;.

This is the one truth I have learned from my private banking clients. Do not betray
my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this.
Please get back to me immediately as time is of the essence.
I await your response.

Regards,
David Thorburn
email: thorburndvd@gmail.com

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