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Financial Fraud Warning Financial Fraud WarningThe Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has received many questions about the legitimacy of certain solicitations received by post or email. These letters or emails hold out the promise of large sums of money in exchange for payment of advance fees, transaction costs, customs duties, etc. In some cases, the recipient is informed that he has won a lottery. The letters and emails also state that the financial or other transactions have been initiated by companies registered in the Netherlands or other European countries. The Embassy wishes to make it absolutely clear that, in all probability, such requests are fraudulent and are related to a well-known financial swindle which first appeared in West Africa in the 1980s. The swindle is now so widespread that national and international law enforcement authorities refer to it as “Nigerian bank fraud”, “Nigerian advance fee fraud” and “419 fraud”. Suggestions that a lottery has been won fall into a separate category although the method of operation is comparable and the fraud is perpetrated by the same swindlers.
If you are still uncertain about the solicitation after having read this information, you may contact the Embassy. You can find a great deal of information about the nature and extent of these fraudulent practices at www.419fraud.com.
If you have been the victim of these fraudulent practices, you may inform the Dutch authorities by using the fraud form.
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