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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: contact4me32@aol.com
Reply-To: eric.zan14@inbox.lv
Date: Thu, 23 May 2019 17:35:08 -0700
Subject: Good Day


Good Day, My name is Mr.Eric Zan, financial manager with HSBC Private Banki=
ng, I contact you independently of our investigation and no one is informed=
of this communication. A client who shares the same last name with you and=
also the circumstances surrounding investments made by this client at HSBC=
Bank Plc. The HSBC Private banking client died intestate and nominated no =
next of kin to inherit the title over the investment made with HSBC Bank Pl=
c. My proposal; you share similar details to the late fellow; I am prepared=
to instruct the Security Consultancy firm 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. I will simply nominate you as the next of kin =
and have them release the deposit to you. I and my colleague and you shall =
share the proceeds. I would have gone ahead to ask the funds be released to=
me, but that would have drawn a straight line to me and my involvement wit=
h claiming the deposit. But on the other hand, you with the same surname as=
the original depositor would easily pass as the beneficiary or next of kin=
with right to claim. I assure you that I could have the deposit released t=
o you within a few days. I will simply inform the bank of the final closing=
of the file I will then officially communicate with the Security Consultan=
cy firm and instruct them to release the deposit to you. With these two thi=
ngs all is done. The alternative would be for us to have the Security Consu=
ltancy firm direct the funds to another bank with you as the account holder=
. This way there will be no need for you to think of receiving the money fr=
om the Security Consultancy firm as it is not a conventional financial inst=
itution; they accept deposits from only organizations thus; what you hand o=
ver to them is what you get back. They do not have the means to process the=
money. It might interest you to know that the amount involved in this tran=
saction is =A318,450,000.00 (Eighteen Million Four Hundred and fifty Thousa=
nd great British Pounds Sterling Only) and the sharing sharing formula is 3=
0% for you the beneficiary, 60% for us and 10% for expenses. We can fine-tu=
ne this based on our interactions. I am aware of the consequences of this p=
roposal. I ask that if you find no interest in this project that you should=
discard this mail. I ask that you do not be vindictive and destructive. If=
my offer is of no appeal to you, delete this message and forget I ever con=
tacted you. Do not destroy my career because you do not approve of my propo=
sal. I await your response. Truly yours Eric Zan eric.zan14@inbox.lv=20

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