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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: "George Cooper" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <g.cooper1@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 3 Jun 2014 08:36:54 -0700
Subject: Attn: Can you handle this deal for our mutual interest?

From: Mr. George Cooper.
Email: (g.cooper74041@gmail.com)

Dear Friend,

I am Mr. George Cooper, Director of Inspection Unit - United Nations Inspection Agency at Heathrow International Airport UK (London). During my inspection duty at the Airport, I discovered an abandoned shipment by a Diplomat from Syria, the shipment was transferred from Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey to our facility in UK (London) and when scanned it revealed an undisclosed sum of money in a Metal Trunk Box weighing approximately 120kg.

The consignment was abandoned because the Content was not properly declared by the consignee as money rather it was declared as personal effect to avoid diversion by the Shipping Agent, also the Diplomat's inability to pay for Non Inspection Fees. My assumption is that the box will contain more than US$11M to US$12M and the consignment is still left in storage house till today through a registered shipping Company, Courier Dispatch Service Limited a division of Trans guard LTD.

The details of the consignment including the name on the official document from United Nations office in London are tagged on the Metal Trunk box. Please provide your phone number, contact address, so I can contact you for further discussions, if you are interested to work with me, confirming, how you may prefer the consignment channeled to you either through delivery or bank transfer, please, confirm and state details as requested.

All communication must be held extremely confidential. I can get everything concluded within 72 hours upon your acceptance and proceed to your address for delivery. But I must get assurance from you concerning my 60% before I will proceed. I want you to help me verify areas from my three listed options of investment plans, where I can invest my 60% in your country that can maximize good returns.
1) Transport Industry.
2) Mechanized agriculture.
3) Estate investment.

I want us to transact this business and share the fund, since the shipper has abandoned it and ran away. I will pay for the Non inspection fee and arrange for the box to be moved out of this Airport to your address or re-transfer by wire transfer, but I will share it 40% to you and 60% to me, you have to assure me of my 60% and your readiness to work with me as a partner, so we can move forward. Make sure you respond to me via my direct email (g.cooper74041@gmail.com)

Mr. George Cooper.
Inspection Officer
g.cooper74041@gmail.com

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