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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: "Prof George Harry" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <phg752@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Thu, 30 May 2013 03:52:33 -0400
Subject: Dearest Friend!

Greetings, My name are Prof. Harry George (PhD), I am a citizen of UK and I work as a private legal and financial consultant here in UK.

I was searching for anyone related to a man by name Mr. Mohamed Wasem citizen of Saudi Arabia who died in the Japan disaster few years ago with his family during a holiday trip to Japan, I found you on the internet during my search and I decided to contact you to propose a deal to you.

The reason why I am looking for anyone related to him is because he kept the sum of $50 million with a bank here in my country while he was doing crude oil businesses here in Europe many years ago, the bank contacted me to assist them locate anyone related to him because I was his legal consultant known to the bank , and according to the law of my country I am the only person who has the legal power to name his next of kin in the event of his death with out any specified next of kin to receive his wealth.

I have conducted my search for one full year with out any positive result, and the time given to me by the bank is fast running out, and this is why I would like to make you a proposal to allow me present you to the bank as the beneficiary of the funds, because If I am unable to bring anyone to claim the money the bank will take the money as their profit, and instead of allowing the bank to take it as their profit I plan to use the money for charity in Saudi Arabia.

My proposal is very simple, after I present you to the bank as the beneficiary of the funds and when the bank approves the payment of the $50 million to you, we will use $40 million to support less privileged people in Saudi Arabia and we will share $10 million to our selves as our reward.

If you accept my proposal I will prepare necessary documents to back you up and to present you legally to the bank, everything will be handled legally so that none of us will break any laws, when the bank approves you and pay you the $50 million I will make a quick trip to meet with you in person and face to face so that we can both start the charity project together, as the lawyer in charge of my late clients financial affairs I have the legal power according to the laws of my country to name his beneficiary if no family member is alive to be used as his beneficiary, this is because he did not write down any name as his beneficiary in the case if he dies, so it is now in my power according to the laws of my country to present a beneficiary of the funds to the bank, even if you didn't have the same last name with him by my power I can name you the beneficiary of the $50 million, everything will be executed legally in our favour if you accept my proposal and plan, and this project ha
s no risks or trouble.

I would like to ask you to reply my letter quickly and I require you to keep this discussion confidential.

Send to me your contact details such as bellow for easy communication.

Mobile N0....................................
Office N0......................................
Home N0......................................
Fax N0.........................................
Address........................................

Respectfully Yours,

Prof. Harry George (PHD)
TEL: +44 702 402 0144
FAX: +44 203 163 1839
ADDRESS: The Hall Lairgate Beverley East
Yorkshire HU17 8HL UK.

Anti-fraud resources: