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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: "Joseph" <josephmba1220@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 14:06:20 +0800
Subject: Sir/Madam


Dear Sir/madam,

How are you doing?. My intention of contacting you is to solicit your
assistance for a project, which will be mutually beneficial to you and I.
Though I know my decision to contact you is to a large extent unconventional,
but the prevailing circumstances necessitated my action and I know this mail
will come as a surprise to you but from a sincere heart with honest desire for
your assistance please bear with me.


In a brief introduction, My name is Joseph mba from Benin .It is my pleasure
communicating with you for the first time and believing that it will lead to a
better relationship between us. I have an inheritance which was left for me by
my late father but the bank said they were instructed by my late father during
depositing of the money,that it is only his business partner that is
authorized to withdraw the money because of my age when he made the agreement
with the bank but now my father is late and was killed by his partner who was
suppose to withdraw the money and give to me according to my late father's
instruction and because of this, I am afraid of contacting the man or letting
him know I want to withdraw the money and I will never let him know about the
money or call him. So right now I have explained to the Bank Manager in charge
about the situation and he said I should introduce another business partner of
my late father to withdraw the money for me and transfer it to their country
immediately

As a matter of important protocol, please I also want to let you know
according to the Bank Manager, that this will involve a little expenses
because the Bank said my father's partner will have to make a change of
beneficiary and as well as obtain the remittance clearance documents from the
Ministries concerned so that all the former documents will be changed to ready
your name as the bonafide beneficiary for easy transfer of the fund to your
country's account.

The total amount in the account for withdrawal is US$65.5million. and I
resolved to compensate you with 30% of the total sum if only you can assist me
faithfully to claim the money and assist me also in investing the money in any
lucrative business in your country or anywhere in the world you may dream ok
and every expenses incurred in moving the money to your country account, will
be refunded with interest.


Further to this, please I will give you more detail and forward all vital
information to you as soon as I hear from you. Note also that the Bank
Manager said I should give you his private telephone number to call him to let
you further arrangement. i will do that when i hear from you


Regards as I urgently await to hearing from you.

Joseph Mba

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