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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: alfred hanson <alfredhansoneg@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: maryalfred001@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 03:03:50 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Dear Friend




Dear Friend,



I choose to reach you through this medium because it is the fastest and

most reliable way of communication, as I wish to solicit for your urgent

assistance in what I strongly believe will be of great benefit to both of

us. I am Mr. Hanson Alfred Accounts Manager with a Bank here in Cote d'

Ivoire also known as "Ivory Coast".

The issue I am presenting to you is a case of one of my late customer, a

businessman from Thailand who died leaving an unclaimed fund with my

bank.



In the year 2003, my late customer made a fixed deposit here in my bank

totaling US$5 Million Dollars which was due to be collected in 2008 after

4 years maturity with accrued dividends.

On my yearly appraisal of my customers at the turn of every year, I

discovered that this fixed deposit remained overdue for retrieval. I had

put up series of mails and bank notifications to him which were sent back

uncollected.



It was a year ago that I discovered that he passed on along with his wife

and only child through 2004 Indian ocean Tsunami while resorting at Khao

Lak in Thailand. Since learning of his death, I have managed his account

expecting any of his extended relatives to come forward to claim his money

but all attempts to trace his relatives over the years has been fruitless

since he did not declare any of his relatives’ information in his banking

records with us.

Added to this, professional ethics obligates us to act with extreme

confidentiality when dealing with clients accounts of this type. According

to my country "Cote d' Ivoire" banking law, the money will be bequeathed

to the government if it remains unclaimed by a certain period which is

almost near.

However, I don’t belong to that school of thought who proposes that the

fortunes of unlucky people be given to the government and I am fully

convinced that no one would turn up to execute the letter of

administration to claim his funds before this short time.

Hence, I decided to contact you to come in as the next of kin/Business

partner to my late customer so that the funds totaling US$5Million (Five

Million Dollars) can then be transferred to your nominated bank account in

your country within 7 working days after we have filed in your claims

transfer application to the bank.



I will prepare every operation that will assist you to claim the funds as

the next of kin/confidential business partner and everything will be left

between you and me.

The sharing would be 50/50. Again, I feel that you may be apprehensive and

consider this amount too big for you to defend. It does not matter, as

there are documents to back it up.



This transaction is risk free and as the most senior account manager with

the bank, be rest assured that all documents to enable you get this fund

as the next of kin will be carefully worked out by me.



Do not be bothered that you are not related in any way to my late customer

as I am in position to affix your name as the next of kin.

Kindly send your reply enclosing your Full Names, Contact Address and

Phone Number to me for confidentiality, to enable me talk to you before I

send you the certificate of deposit and other relevant information

relating to this fund transfer.

I need not emphasize the confidentiality of this issue and I therefore

appeal to you not discuss this request with anybody, even if you decline

to take full advantage of this great and urgent opportunity in my bank.



I look forward to your quick reply by or email.



Sincerely,

Mr. Hanson Alfred

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