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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: Geryson Devin <pmsmetal21@gmail.com>
Reply-To: devin_greyson11@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2015 19:32:36 +0100
Subject: RE:GOOD DAY.

LLOYD'S TSB BANK
P.O BOX 1000,
BX1 1LT ENGLAND,
UNITED KINGDOM.


My Name is Mr. Greyson Devin, I work with a private Bank here in London
UK. I want to introduce and negotiate with you a business opportunity
that exist in my office here and that will be of great benefit to us.

During one of our periodic auditing I discovered a dormant accounts with
holding balance of US$42,759,000.00 {Forty Two Millon seven hundred and
fifty Nine Thousand US Dollars only} Sometimes a person will open a bank
account, deposit money, and then disappear into the tin 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 depositaries. 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 customer pass away and their
heirs can neither prove the death, nor their heir ship.

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 (i.e. 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.

I am prepared to place you in a position and instruct the bank to release
the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation. Upon receipt of
the deposit, I am prepared to share the money with you and no more. That
is, we share the proceeds 55% for me and 45% for you. We can fine-tune
this based on our interactions and with my position/affiliate in the
bank, we can get things done in a smooth way. There is a reward for
this project and it is a task well worth undertaking. I will like to
invest 50% of my share in your Country with your help/idea.

I am constrained to issue more details about this business until your
response is received. If you know that you are capable to handle large or
small amount on trust and can keep secret and ready to take 45% of any
amount I transfer to your account from the dormant account and I will
take 55%, send your account information's by return mail. Tell me more
about yourself, while I look forward to receive the above information.

I want to re-assure you that this business is risk free and you can send
an empty account to receive the funds, provided that the account is
capable to receive incoming funds.

Look forward to discuss this opportunity further with you in full details,
contact me here(devingreyson001@hotmail.com)

Thank you for your time and attention.

Best Regard,
Mr. Greyson Devin.

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