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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: "Barrister Keith Franklin Mercer" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barr_franklinkeith1@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:22:25 -0800
Subject: WILL EXECUTION

Dear Friend,
 
I wish to approach you with a request that would be of immense benefit to both of us. I am an attorney based in Scotland United Kingdom. I want you and I to make some fortune out of a situation that I am obviously left with no other better option. The issue that I am presenting to you is a case of my client that willed a fortune to his only daughter, Miss. Veronica Thomas. It is unfortunate that he (Mr. Brian Thomas), his wife (Mrs. Florence Thomas) and their daughter died on the Garuda Airlines Boeing 737 (Registration No: PK-GZC) Crash in Indonesia, which crashed on March, 2007.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garuda_Indonesia_Flight_200
 
I am now faced with a problem of getting a trusted person who I will make the beneficiary (Next of Kin) that I would pass the fortune to, and according to the law such fortune is supposed to be bequeathed to the government if there is not any relatives or Next-of-Kin of the decease that would surface for claim of the fortune after Five Years of notification to the Bank. However, I personally don't belong to such school of thought that proposes that such fortune be given to the government because this is cheating and is possible that the top government and Bank officials for their own selfish interest could divert the fortune.
 
Because of this I am contacting you to seek your acting as the beneficiary of the will. I am my client attorney and I alone knew about his will.
 
Upon indication of your interests, all I will do is to amend the will by fitting in your name as the supposed Next-of-Kin and back it up with a sworn affidavit and a grant from the probate registry, which automatically became valid. This amendment should be between us and must not leak out to anyone, It is absolutely confidential. I have complete information of his bank account details with an outstanding balance of £7,500,000.00 (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand British Pound Sterling Only), I know that you would be apprehensive and feel that this is a big sum, but it does not matter because this is a legacy being passed on to a Next-of-Kin and you are the available next-of-kin. As I am not very sure of getting your consent yet on the issue, I prefer not to divulge my full identity so as not to risk being disbarred. Until I am sure of your consent and full cooperation then I will not be afraid to give you my full identity. In the meanwhile, I would prefer that we maintain co rrespondence by email, tel
 
* Your Full Name
* Address
*Age, and Date of Birth
* Height
* Telephone and Fax numbers
 
On completion of this, I will send you a copy of the amended WILL which you will fax to the bank with a back up letter written by your good self requesting for the release of the fund to you. I will also write to the bank as the legal representative of my client before his demise, ordering for the transfer of the fund to you, as the beneficiary/Next of Kin of his will. I will appreciate your urgent response in this regard.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation,
 
send me an email to my private email address: barr_franklinkeith1@msn.com
Regards,
Barrister Keith Franklin Mercer
N:B:Please contact me on Email with the following details and information:
barr_franklinkeith1@msn.com
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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