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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: Kennedy Green <zurichairportauthority@gmail.com>
Reply-To: kennedygreen1960@gmail.com
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2022 20:46:34 -0800
Subject: R. S. V. P. CERTIFIED NOTIFICATION.

--
Dear Friend,

With warm heart I offer my friendship, and greetings, and I hope this
message meets you in good time. However strange or surprising this contact
might seem to you as we have not met personally or had any dealings in the
past, I humbly ask that you take due consideration of its importance and
the immense benefit it will be to you. After careful consideration, I
resolved to contact your assistance in this manner. I duly apologize for
your most needed infringing on your privacy.

An oil businessman made a fixed deposit of £21 Million GBP in my bank
branch where I am an Audit and Account Manager and he died with his entire
family in a fatal motor accident leaving behind no next of
kin. Unfortunately this customer died intestate in a ghastly car crash
leaving his bank account with an open beneficiary status.

I retrieved your contact address in my search for the next of kin or
someone with same last name to a deceased customer of our Bank and All
efforts made by our Bank to locate his relatives have been unsuccessful so
I decided to write you as I have monitored this account in the Bank for 5
years now and no one has come forth with any claim. Since you have the same
surname, I have legal permission to present you as the heir to the fund for
our mutual benefit and I propose to present you as next of kin to claim the
funds.

I will provide the entire relevant documents that will be requested to back
you up of this legacy and my bank will release the fund to you without any
further delay, upon your consideration and acceptance of this offer. The
total sum will be shared as follows: 50% for me and 50% of the fund will be
for you.

This is a once in a life time opportunity that is capable of making things
better for us and moreover, if I fail to present my late client’s next of
kin in couple of weeks, the truth is that this money will be taken by the
government or by some greedy officials of the bank and I would not fold my
arms and watch this happen hence my decision to contact you.

I look forward to receiving your Reply through this Email address:
kennedygreen1960@gmail.com

I thank you for your time and Have a very nice day.

With kind regards,

Kennedy Green.

Anti-fraud resources: