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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: "Mr. William Cole" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <william.cole37@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 04:55:21 +0300
Subject: FROM WILLIAM COLE PLEASE RESPOND

From: Mr. William Cole
EMAIL:william.cole37@yahoo.com.ph
 
PRIVATE FINANCIAL ADVISER/CONSULTANT
 
 
I am contacting you with good intent geared towards an interest which I want both of us to participate in and which will be beneficial to us especially financially.
I happen to be a financial adviser and investment planner to the ousted president of Libya, MUAMMAR GADDAFI who was killed in a gun battle in Libya on the 20th of October 2011. I have been handling all his financial activities and business interests here in South Africa up to this date.
I have under my management, some amount of money which the late Gaddafi had instructed me to code for re-investment for his grand children in an event he is caught or killed.
I had made preparations for this fund to be re-invested and was preparing a report for him through his special aid who was also killed, before I heard of his death. His death has now changed the entire scenario in the sense that all the procedures has to take a drastic change and which is the reason I am contacting you. It is therefore necessary that we work together. Kindly read my proposal below:
1, your involvement shall entail the following:
A, provision of a safe haven for the funds.
B, management of the funds which we shall put directly under your name or company name and total care
C, preparation of legal back-up documents to support the entire transaction as an inheritance to you.
Furthermore, it is important to keep this transaction confidential due to the recent forfeiture of the late Gaddafi’s assets and frozen accounts. We are lucky because the money I am talking about is not in his name and will make it much easier for us to handle successfully.
What I shall do first of all and as soon as I get a positive response from you is to close the investment and get a certificate cover. I shall then write an application with a letter of intent to the CAPITEC  BANK for the release of funds in your name, I shall then proceed to procure the necessary legal documents to back up the claim supporting you. Since I am named as the finance and investment manager for the account where this money is lodged, I shall surely get approval in your favor. As soon as this is done, we shall then be certain that the funds will be paid to you.
The entire process shall last about 2 weeks or thereabout. Upon your full acceptance, kindly contact me with the below very important information:
[1] Your Names
[2] Telephone and Fax numbers,
[3] Your Physical Address
[4] Your Age
[5] Your Occupation
 
We shall discuss on the amount involved and the remuneration you shall receive for your efforts upon the reciept of postive response from you.
Thank you and Best Regards,
 
>From Mr. William Cole.
 
EMAIL ME SO THAT I CAN GIVE FULL DETAILS OF MY PERSON AND SOME RELEVANT DOCUMENTS WHICH YOU NEED TO SEE.

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