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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: Mr Edmund Camara <mredmundcamara14@gmail.com>
Reply-To: eddycamaralawfirm@hotmail.fr
Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 19:58:09 +0100
Subject: GOD IS GREAT TO YOU IN THIS NEW YEAR


Dear Sir,
This is a personal email directed to you and I request that it be treated
as such. I am Edmund Camara, attorney/sole executor to the late Mr Randolf
Friedrich, here referred to as my client who worked as an independent oil
magnate in my country and who died in a commercial jet planes crashed on
Tower One of the World Trade Center New York on September 11th 2001.
Since the death of my client on September 11th 2001,when American Airlines
Flight 11, crashed into Tower World Trade Center, I have tried to locate
any of his extended relatives whom shall be claimants/beneficiaries of his
abandoned personal estate and all such efforts have been to no avail.
More so, I have received official letters in the last few weeks suggesting
a likely proceeding for confiscation of his abandoned personal assets in
line with existing laws by the bank in which my client deposited the sum of
$3.8 million US Dollars.
On this note I decided to search for a credible person and finding that
you bear a similar last name, I was urged to contact you, that I may, with
your consent, present you to the "trustee" bank as my late client's
surviving family member so as to enable you put up a claim to the bank in
that capacity as a next of kin of my client.
Since i got information about his death, we have been expecting his next
of kin or relatives to come over and claim his money because we cannot
release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.I don’t want this money to
go back into bank's treasury as unclaimed funds,as our banking law and
guidelines here stipulates that if such money remains unclaimed before the
middle of this year 2014,the money will be transferred into banking
treasury as unclaimed funds.
Upon the receipt of your reply,I will send you by fax or E-mail the next
step to take. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this proposal is
hitch-free and that you should not entertain any fears as the required
arrangements have been made for the completion of this transfer.
Like I said, I require only a solemn confidentiality on this with direct
fax and phone numbers.
Best Regards,
Barrister Edmund Camara
Principal Attorney
Camara & Company Solicitors
Telefax: 00 234 813 8792042
Lagos -Nigeria

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