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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: "MR TERRY WILLIAMS" <mrterrywilliams1@fastermail.com>
Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2006 06:42:04 +0800
Subject: URGENT LETTER

ATTENTION:

I AM ALSO HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU, THAT WE ABOUT TO CONCLUDE THIS TRANSACTION. NOW AS THE MATTER OF A TIME, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, THERE IS NO TIME ON OUR SIDE, SINCE WE HAVE GOTTEN THE MONEY TO FINALIZE THE BUSINESS, I WANT YOU TO SEND ME $4500us dollars, TO ENABLE ME PICK UP THE MONEY.
I WANT TO INFORM YOU THAT, YOU SHOULD NOT PICK ANY CALL CONCERENING THIS TRANSACTION WITH ANYBODY, EXPECT THIS MY PRIVATE EMAIL OKAY, TO AFFORD ANY JORPARDERZENING.
PLEASE SEND THE $4500 DOLLARS TO THIS NAME AND ADDRESS AND SEND THE TRANFER INFORMATION TO ME HERE. SHE IS MY CLARK, SEND IT HERE. I WAIT FOR THE TRANSFER INFORMATION SUCH MTC NUMBER, TEXT QUESITION AND ANSWER.

EJIKE CHRISTIAN ENEEKWE.
15 ABIOUNDUN STREET IFAKO,
IFAKO OGBA LAGOS NIGERIA.
I WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU SOONEST.
MARTINS COLE


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