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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: "Michael Dickinson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <attornymikedickinson@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2015 06:14:29 -0400
Subject: INHERITANCE

 
Mike Dickinson                 alternatively email: postnet1960@gmail.com
113 Labone Drive
PMB CT 102, Cantonments
Accra-Ghana
INHERITANCE
It is my privilege to capture your details my name is Attorney Mike Dickinson personal Attorney to late Mr. Tammy Hudson, an American nationality who died along with his wife Carole and their two children on a hijacked Boeing 767 that plunged into the Atlantic killing all 214 people on board including my client Mr. Tammy Hudson and his entire family.
See website: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/us-stunned-by-latest-air-crash-1120123.html
I am convinced that it was the grace of God that made me to locate you Mr. Tammy Hudson was a successful and an accomplished family man, who made enough fortune before his untimely death. I have made several inquiries through his Embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but this exercise has proved unsuccessful.
After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives through the Internet to locate any member of his family not much progress was recorded. Mr. Tammy Hudson is a very rich man, worth over $1.6Billion USD he was an influential wealthy businessman, a Gold Mogul in Ghana and he left behind a deposit of Forty-One Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$41.3Million) in his domiciliary bank account in a commercial bank here in Ghana. After the death of Mr. Tammy Hudson the bank accountant contacted me, as his Attorney to provide his Next Of Kin who should inherit his fortune. The board of directors of his bank adopted a resolution and I was mandated to provide his Next Of Kin for the payment of this money within 30 days or forfeit the money to the bank as an abandoned property.
The accountant had planned to invoke the abandoned property decree of 1996 to confiscate the funds after the expiration of the period given to me. Despairing at the point of exhaustiveness, fortunately, I came across your details to my utmost amazement you can stand as the Next of Kin, Convinced that you may be linked with late Mr. Tammy Hudson or that you might provide clue to my search, I therefore, decided to contact you with these facts before me because of the urgent situation right now.
By virtue of my closeness to the deceased and his immediate family, I am very much aware of my client financial standing and the bank account he operates. I have reasoned and I feel it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client, so that you can be paid the funds left in his bank account, hence I contacted you. I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin to the Deceased since you are at an advantage to claim this fund so that the proceeds of this Bank Account valued at $41.3Million Dollars can be paid to you the moment I summit your banking details to the bank
If You Are Willing To Assist Me Please Kindly Forward The Following Information.
(1) Full Name:
(2) Postal Address:
(3 Telephones and Fax Number:
(4) Occupation:
(5) Date of Birth:
We shall both share the fund, 50% to me and 50% to you I don’t want to be greedy since the money do not belong to me, I shall assemble all the necessary Legal Documents that will be used to back up our claim.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law.
Please get in touch with me by telephone or email to enable us discuss further.
Best Regards
Mike Dickinson
attornymikedickinson@gmail.com
 

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