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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. Jan Vapaavuori." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mprivate57@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 8 May 2015 01:57:57 -0700
Subject: Proposing A Joint Partnership From Mr. Vapaavuori.

From Bank UBS AG.
Postfach 8098 Zurich
Switzerland.
+41435081395
 
I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business. Though this medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it because it still remains the fastest medium of communication. However, this correspondence is private, and it should be treated in strict confidence. I work with Bank UBS AG Zurich at their offshore department, I will be happy to work this deal out with you if you have a corporate or personal Bank Account and if you will keep TOP SECRET.
 
During our last periodic auditing I discovered some dormant accounts with holding balances of Five Hundred and Fifty million US Dollars, Sometimes an individual will open a bank account, deposit money, and then disappear into the thin air. Banks are not always able to find out what has become of these silent customers, or to know whether they should follow up on requests from people who claim to be heirs to the accounts. The main problem is that the customer resides abroad and, due to bank secrecy, the bank cannot publish notices in the international press to locate the depositories. This has led the majority of Swiss banks to refrain from opening small-deposit accounts for foreign customers; for fear that they will forget that the account exists.
 
It has happened in the past, however, that customers pass away and their heirs can neither prove the death, nor their heirship. This was a frequent occurrence during the wartime periods, and the banks have now set up a simple, rapid resolution procedure operating to their customers� advantage. Dormant assets are defined as any assets deposited with a bank (an account, a custody account or a safety-deposit box) for which there has been no contact with the customer in the bank�s files for the last ten years or more.
 
If you know that you are capable to handle large or small amount on trust and can keep secret and ready to take 40% of any amount I transfer to your account from the dormant accounts and I will take 60%, send your account information�s by return mail. Tell me more about yourself, while I look forward to receive the above information.
 
Please reply to my most private email address (janvap122@yahoo.com) Send your private mobile phone number where I can reach you now.
 
Thank you for your time and attention.
 
Warmest regards,
Jan Vapaavuori.

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