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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: ZENITH BANK UK <officefundzz1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: beckytennant.uk@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 4 May 2022 06:03:47 +0100
Subject: MS. BECKY TENNANT, DEAR YOUR RESPONSE IS HIGHLY NEEDED!

HELLO DEAR,
I am Ms. Becky Tennant, a seasoned banker with Zenith International
Bank Plc. here in London and I wish to request for your assistance in
a deal that involves £23.7 M GBPS (Twenty Three million, Seven Hundred
Thousand Great British pounds sterling) with our Bank. This deal by
virtue of its nature must be utterly confidential and top secret.
Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one
apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that this will be done
under a legitimate arrangement that will protect both of us from any
breach of the law. I came to know you in my private search for a
reliable and reputable Business Person/individual that can handle this
confidential deal with me, which required maximum confidence and trust
from both sides.

MY PROPOSITION;

I am an account officer to one of the dormant accounts with our bank
that belong to one of our deceased customer Mr. Paul Louis Halley a
French citizen rich man that was into several business here in London
before his death along with his wife in an air crash. Before their
untimely death our customer deposited the Sum of £23.7 M GBPS (Twenty
Three million, Seven Hundred Thousand Great British pounds sterling)
with our bank here in London.

This website will give you comprehensive picture of what I am talking
about (http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/4537663.stm).
During the bank audit exercise, it was discovered that a lot of
accounts has been dormant as an unclaimed credit balance, hence our
management decided during the current re-capitalization in our banking
sector, to phase out all accounts that has been dormant. I being the
account officer to late Mr. Paul Louis Halley, I have made several
inquiries to his high commission to locate my client's extended
relatives, but all my efforts proved abortive, I then decided to trace
his relatives or family member over the internet, and hence I found
you as my instinct convinces me that you will be a trustworthy and
honest business partner and I decided to contact you to assist me in
repatriating my late client's deposit before it got confiscated or
declared unserviceable by our bank, Zenith International Bank Plc.
here in London.

I therefore wish to request for your assistance and permission to
present you as the appointed next of kin to Mr. Paul Louis Halley so
that the £23.7 M GBPS (Twenty Three million, Seven Hundred Thousand
Great British pounds sterling) can be released and paid into your
account as the beneficiary. Be informed that this transaction is risk
free otherwise I will not contact you because it is against our bank
policy. Please get in touch with me immediately if you are interested
to assist me by furnishing me with the following information;

1. Your full names
2. Your full address
3. Direct Telephone numbers

Contact me by phone WhatsApp: +44 7520 634980
Looking forward to your prompt response in my private email:

Yours Sincerely,
Ms. Becky Tennant,

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