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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: Anthony <test@dragoncreative.com.hk>
Reply-To: info@estetispa.it
Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2023 22:42:57 +0000
Subject: From Anthony,

It is obvious that this letter will come to you as a surprise as we do not know ourselves before, but be rest assured that this is real and a genuine business. Before I proceed, I must apologize for this spontaneous email to you. I am aware that this is certainly not a conservative way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize the need for my action.
 
First, I must solicit your confidence in this proposal; this is by the nature of it as being utterly confidential or top secret. I am Anthony Molise, a South African lawyer by profession. I am the Attorney, a legal adviser to late Mr. Rafic Hariri, born in Lebanon in 1944, the late Rafic Hariri was a Lebanese self-made billionaire and business tycoon that travels all over the world, and was five times the Prime Minister of Lebanon.
 
I decided to find someone that is real and not imaginary and that was why I went to a secured site where I can be sure that the person is for real. Mr. Rafic Hariri deposited the sum of $27,500,000.00 USD  in a security company here in South Africa which was not traceable after his sudden death because there was no next of kin/business partner as at the time of deposit. The security company had contacted me on many occasions over the past years to present the supposed next of kin to my late client.
 
This fund has lasted more than expected period in the security company's vault, and the management has issued me a final notice to present the next of kin to my late client or the vault will be declared in-serviceable or confiscated by the security company/government due to the ongoing government reform here in South Africa which state that deposit has been dormant. I need someone I could trust to channel this deposit as next of kin/business partner to the deceased. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried. But I am assuring you that; all the legal documentations to back up your claim as my client's next of kin I shall provide.
 
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us to achieve this goal. I am convinced that the intended transaction is 100% risk free, that you should not entertain any atom of fear, the fact is that I just do not want my late client deposit to be declared as unclaimed by the security company management or be confiscated by the government. It is upon this discovery that I decided to contact you on this business, permit me to ask you this question, can I completely trust you? Upon your response, I shall provide you with more details about this transaction; also, you should understand that this should be kept very confidential.
 
However, if this business proposal offends your moral ethics, do accept my sincere apology, or if on the contrary you wish to achieve this goal with me. Kindly write back to me if you are interested and want more details on how we can proceed.
 
Thank you so much.
 
Barrister Anthony Molise
Solicitor and Advocate (MOLISE CHAMBERS LLP)

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