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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: Christopher Priest <investeccprivate@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Christopher Priest <cpriest81@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2017 08:42:38 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Nat West Bank London


Greetings!

I request your kind attention and understanding regarding my aim of e-mailing you today, my name is Mr. Christopher Priest, Relationship Director NatWest Bank. I ask your consideration to this transaction with utmost confidentiality. Being a top executive at the Bank, I discovered a numbered account with a credit balance of GBP 13,900,000 .00 (Thirteen Million, Nine Hundred Thousand British Pound Sterling) which belongs to one of our deceased customers (William McKeon) an American Millionaire, who unfortunately died from storm-related injuries during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Due to my position at the bank, I have all the necessary details to claim these funds without any hitch. I only need your assistance as a foreigner to assume the beneficiary, since my position as a civil servant and the bank official does not permit me or my relatives to make this claim. Therefore, I need you to stand as the "Foreign Beneficiary", and I assure you of a perfect
transfer strategy in your name legally to avoid any suspicions.

You are entitled to 40% of the entire sum for your effort in this great deal, upon your consideration of my proposal, I request (Your full name, Contact address and your direct telephone/fax number) to enable me re-profile the fund in your name as the beneficiary, for bank approvals and fund transfers to your nominated bank accounts. Also considering the level of discretion required for success of this project.

Thanking you in anticipation of your immediate reply.

Kind regards,
Mr. Christopher Priest,
Relationship Director
Nat West Bank London

Anti-fraud resources: