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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. Ruben Brandon" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rubenbrandon777@outlook.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:14:11 +0200
Subject: Mr. Ruben Brandon

Hello my Dear Friend,
Greetings and please pardon me for not knowing your mindset before contacting you and it is very confidential, as I said before, I am Mr. Ruben Brandon, The branch manager BANQUE ATLANTIQUE Lome Branch Lome Republic of Togo.
We had a foreign client (Late Mrs. Margalit) She bears the same name with you, this our client and her only son were involved in a car accident along Kaneshi express Road here in Republic of Togo Unfortunately they lost their lives in the car crash Since then the Bank had made several inquiries to your embassy here to locate any of our clients extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful.
This our client has an account with this Branch of our Bank totaling US9.1 million US Dollars which she inherited from her late husband who was an industrialist before he died And since that year after her death the bank has not had anyone that Comes for the claim of this fund as either her relation or as a friend A situation I have monitored closely with my position here as the Manager of this branch of our Bank and l have finally removed her file to my private vaul.
Now this is what l actually want you to do; Since you bear the same name with her and of the same nationality I have reasoned very professionally and l feel it will be legally proper to present you as her next of kin so as to claim out this fund, before it is transferred to the Bank's treasury where other people may as well claim it directly without going to this length.
I am quite aware of the procedures this will take and I will advice you appropriately on the way forward and guide you on how to apply to our Bank to make the claim for the fund and its bank-to-bank transfer to your designated bank account, where you consider safe for it. Thank you in anticipation of your urgent response and I will furnish you with the full details and please also include your direct phone numbers. Please kindly contact me through my private email address (rubenbrandon777@outlook.com) for more details.
l intend to give you 50% while l take 50% l hope you will be a very, Honest and reliable person.
Awaiting your urgent response.
Yours Faithfully.
Mr. Ruben Brandon

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