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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: strasser john <stra_jo2005@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: stra_jo2006@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:35:31 +0100
Subject: from john


Dear Sir Madam
Forgive me if this letter comes to you as a surprise. Well I am the Chief Accounts auditor with Trust Bank Limited (Ghana) my name is John Strasser. I got your contact during my quest for a reliable person to build up a mutual business relationship. There was a deceased foreign client a Libyan (Nationality) who deposited huge sum of funds at my Company. This client and his entire family was among the victims that died on a Plane crash with Ethiopian Airline flight (ET 961) which the whole passengers aboard was death in the year 2000. The deceased client by name: Abdullah Mohammed deposited large sum of money (US$ 9.2 Million) Nine Million Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars, for safe keeping with my company since February 2000. Our deceased customer lived in Ghana for many years. Since the demise of our late customer I have watch with keen interest to see any of the relations comes up for the claims ownership of this funds but with know avail. And there is no trace to locate any of the deceased relations. However, the Banking regulation in Ghana stipulates that after a period of 5 years and none of the deceased relations has comes up to claims this funds my Bank will confiscate the said Money as un claimed funds.
It’s based on this fact I decide to contact and ask you to stands as the deceased distance “cousin” so that you can apply direct to my Bank as the Next of Kin to the deceased. I will guide you on how to apply to my Bank upon your acceptance. I will send you all the necessary information’s in regards of the deceased deposit file and the account number. As soon as my Bank approves your claims of ownership as the Next of Kin, the Bank will release the aforementioned funds to you. Further more, after you have successfully claims ownership of these funds, I will put down my resignation letter and comes over to your country to collect my own percentage shares of the deal.
If you agreed on my proposal we shall share this funds 60% for me and 40% for you of the total funds. Note: During your application for the Ownership claims of the deceased funds, you should never disclose my name as your true source of information because this will destroy my entire image and my 17 years of services to my Bank. We shall keep everything information between us secret. This deal is free from no risk. During your reply send me your private contacts phone and fax with your mobile number, for our direct communication link. Below are my direct contact phone and email.
Awaits your soonest reply.
Regards,
Strasser John
Tel: (+) 233 244 366 884
E-mail: stra_jo2006@yahoo.com

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