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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: "chris martins" <chrismartin68@msn.com>
Reply-To: chrismarthins68@yahoo.co.nz
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 16:45:54 +0000
Subject: From: Dr.Chris Martins/Confidential

From: Dr.Chris Martins.
H.O.D. Clinical Pharmacology,
University of Lagos,
Lagos State,
Nigeria.

Dear Sir,

I am Dr.Chris Martins, the Head of Department of Clinical Pharmacology and
Director of research, at the University of Lagos,Lagos State Nigeria. I
write to solicit your assistance in a project of mutual benefits.

We got your contact over the Internet.In February 1999, a research grant
(US$26.5Million) was given to my department with I leading a team of other
clinical pharmacologists, by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to
conduct a research on the effect of a Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria.

The research has since been concluded (specifically in August 2002). Of the
total amount given to us for the research purposes we only expended US$16
Million leaving a balance of US$10.5 Million. We are contacting you with a
view to transferring this balance out for our
own use. We have put in over 25 years of our lives into working for the
government and as academics we do NOT have anything to show for it,hence
this opportunity we see as a God-Sent one.

Wesincerely hope that you will be of assistance to us.I implore you to treat
this mail as confidentially as possible as we are still active academicians,
though retiring in the first quarter of next year. If you are not in a
position to assist us, do not respond to this mail and we apologize for
taking your time.

Upon receipt of your acceptance to assist us in this,we will negotiate on
what should be your take from this ammount for assisting us. If you are
interested in this venture, please send your bank account details,full names
and address and your direct mobile phone/land lines for effective
communication.

Please I await your urgent response through my private email to enable us
proceed for the transfer once we agreed on the percentages.

Sincerely Yours,
Dr.Chris Martins.(UNILAG).


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