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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: Clement William <williamclement110@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: Clement William <clement14william@barid.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:08:14 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: From: Mr. Clement William


 From: Mr. Clement William
Cotonou, Republique du Benin.

I am Mr. Clement William, working with BANQUE ATLANTIQUE BANK BENIN as the senior supervisor in accounting / auditing department of our bank. I have decided to contact you through this medium based on a business proposal, which will be of mutual benefit to both of us. I know this might sound like scam to you because of a lot of activities going on in the internet today. But I assure you that this is real.

I was the account officer to one of our late customer , a citizen of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Republique du Benin, the late customer made a numbered time (fixed) deposited for 8years, valued at us 18.6 million (eighteen million six hundred thousand euro) in my branch. Upon maturity, we sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply.

After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers, Benin Oil Corporation that the customer died in an automobile accident. On further investigation, I found out that he did not leave a will and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless. I therefore made further investigation and discovered that the late customer did not declare any next of kin in all his official documents, including his bank deposit paperwork.

This sum of (18.6 million Euro) is still sitting in the bank and the interest is rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will come forward to claim it. According to the Republique du Benin law, at the expiration of 8(Eight)years, the money will revert to the ownership of the Benin government if nobody applies to claim the funds. By the end of this month the account will be confiscated if no come to claim the fund.

Please observe utmost confidentiality, and rest assured that this transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require your assistance to my share for investment in your country. in your return mail, please do forward me your following information if you are willing to complete this deal with me, to enable me put the total fund in your name for claim as the next of kin to the deceased person:

Your full name:
Your contact address:
Your phone number:
Your age:
Profession:
Private email account :
Send it to my private email account (clement14william@barid.com)

Awaiting your urgent reply.

Regards,
Mr. Clement William


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