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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: "HASSAN ABDUL" <hasnabdul2@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: hasnabdulz@rediffmail.com
Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2006 14:33:50 +0400
Subject: RE: GREETINGS & WAITING!

GOOD DAY SIR,
MY NAME IS HASSAN ABDUL, 22 YEARS OLD AND SON OF LATE MR. AL MOUSTAFA ABDUL WHO WAS KILLED
ON THE 17TH DECEMBER 2003 AS A RESULT OF THE WAR BETWEEN THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS AND SADDAM
HUSSEIN. BEFORE HIS DEATH, HE GAVE ME SOME DOCUMENTS REGARDING TO THE MONEY HE DEPOSITED
IN A FINANCE SECURITY COMPANY.
ON THOSE DOCUMENTS IS THE "DEPOSITE CERTIFICATE" OF (US$10.5M) TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) AND ALSO "CERTIFICATE OF AGREEMENT" BETWEEN THE
FINANCE SECURITY COMPANY AND MY LATE FATHER.

PLEASE SIR, I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN TRAVEL OUT OF IRAQ TO MEET WITH THE COMPANY FOR THE
CLAIM AND RELEASE OF MY INHERITED FAMILY DEPOSITE BECAUSE I AM CURRENTLY IN THE REFUGEE CAMP HERE.
I AM ENTRUSTING EVERYTHING INTO YOUR CARE BECAUSE I AM NOT ABLE TO HELP MYSELF CLAIM THE MONEY
BECAUSE I AM AFRAID NO ONE ELSE EXCEPT MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY KNOW ABOUT THIS FAMILY DEPOSIT.
I LOST MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND MY MOTHER ALSO DIED SOME MONTHS AFTER THE DEATH OF MY FATHER.
SO I AM LEFT ALONE AND THE ONLY NEXT OF KIN TO THE FAMILY DEPOSIT.
SO PLEASE HELP ME TO CLAIM THIS MONEY, I AM READY TO GO WITH YOU ANYWHERE YOU WANT US TO INVEST
THE FUND BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO BUSINESS BECAUSE I WAS ONLY A UNIVERSITY STUDENT HERE IN
IRAQ WHEN THE WAR STARTED.

FURTHERMORE, PLEASE I DID NOT LET ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT THIS NOT EVEN MY UNCLES BECAUSE THEY MAY KILL
ME AND TAKE THIS "CERTIFICATES" FROM ME WHICH IS MY LIFE AND FUTURE HOPE, I WANT TO GO OUT FROM
IRAQ TO A BETTER AND SAFER PLACE TO CONTINUE MY EDUCATION AS WELL AS TO LIVE A NORMAL LIFE AND
INVEST THE FUND BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO DIE UNTIMELY OR BE A SCHOOL DROP OUT OR A TERRORIST WHO
BOMB INNOCENT PEOPLE HERE IN IRAQ. I WANT TO BE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON IN THE SOCIETY AND THAT IS
WHY MY LATE FATHER WANTED ME TO READ ENGLISH IN THE UNIVERSITY HERE IN IRAQ BEFORE THE WAR STARTED,
PLEASE HELP ME WITH YOUR GENUINE HEART AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HELP ME, PLEASE SORRY AND FORGET I CONTACTED YOU.
I NEED YOUR URGENT REPLY WITH YOUR FULL NAMES, HOUSE AND OFFICE ADDRESS, PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS TO
ENABLE ME GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATIONS ON WHAT NEXT TO DO AS WELL AS GIVEN YOU THE DOCUMENTS FOR NECCESSARY ACTIONS.

THANKS AND REGARDS,
HASSAN ABDUL.




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