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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: "Prof. Benoît Cavelier" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <info@benoitcavelier.net>
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2022 10:55:44 -0500
Subject: Re: Pls This is from Prof. Benoît Cavelier

Good Morning,

Please, I was in your country in November last year for the second time where I went to look for any member of your family. The reason I visited your country for the second time in November is because of a very important issue, very classified, that I wish to discuss with you here.

In the year 2005, someone who shares the same family name with you, from your country left investment funds (€30M) abandoned in our bank as a result of death. Right now my bank is planning to move these funds into our treasury as unclaimed and abandoned monies.

I can't fold my arms and allow this to happen because of certain issues I will explain to you when you reply to this email. I know it's hard to trust these days because of scam and other elements but when I came across your profile you appears to me like someone who is smart and sensible as such may be able to overlook those elements and see the fact and reality of what is stairing us in the facer.

What must to be done urgently to prevent my bank from taking this funds is for me to immediately insert your name from the bank data-base into the Customer's Information Sheet (CIS) and officially make you his heir, and once that is done, and your name appears in his account file, the funds will automatically become yours by the right of inheritance, and then we follow it up with our bank inheritance claim procedures, secure the funds and then share it equally afterward. Please, like I said, this has absolutely nothing to do with fraud, scam nor hoax because it is simply an inheritance claim.

Trust me on this if you can, and get back to me with your direct telephone number as quickly as possible. Remain bless

Thank You

------------
Best Regards

Prof. Benoît Cavelier
Chief Operating Officer
BNP PARIBAS France
https://group.bnpparibas/

Anti-fraud resources: