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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: John England <johnengland_01@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 14:24:21 -0400
Subject: URGENT



DEAR. SIR,
THIS MESSEGA MIGHT MEET YOU IN UTMOUS SUPRISE,BUT BEFOREYOU WILL GO FURTHER I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WEB SITE SO THAT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND IT VERY WELL (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3112659.stm) HOW EVER MY NAME IS JONATHAN SANKOH.I AM 23 YEARS OLD .I AM THE ELDERST SON OF LATE CHEIF FODAY SANKOH OF TUNGO DISTRICT, SIERRA LEONE.I GOT YOUR CONTACT FROM A REPORTER THAT WORKS WITH THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WHO RECOMMENDED YOU AS A MAN OF GOOD INTEGRITY AND REPUTATION AND A MAN THAT CAN BE TRUSTED, BUT IT IS LEFT FOR YOU TO BE ORIGINAL AND TRUSTWORTHY SOMEONE. I WANT YOU TO TAKE THIS ISSUE AS A SERIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY BRIGHTER FUTURE, WITHOUT THIS I AM NOBODY,
I HAVE BEEN KEEPING THIS ISSUE FOR THE PAST 1YEARS ,BECAUSE I DO NOT TRUST BLACK AFRICAN.YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BESIDES,NOW I WANT TO FINALLY MOVE AWAY FROM AFRICA[ME AND MY MOTHER]TO START A NEW LIFE OVERTHERE,
BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE FAMILY AND RELATIVES. THE WAR SPLIT EVERYBODY.MAY BE SOME OF THEM ARE STILL ALIVE WHICH I DON'T KNOW.OUR MIGTHY HOUSE AND THE PROPERTIES ARE NO MORE.MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND MY LITTLE SISTER DIED DURING THE WAR .PLEASE,I WHAT TO TREAT THIS ISSUE WHICH I AM ABOUT TO DISCLOSE TO YOU AS A CONFIDENTIAL ONCE AGAIN.MY FATHER,LATE CHEIF FODAY SANKOH,POPULARLY KNOWN AS IN OUR COUNTRY AS GIPU, HE WAS THE INDEPENDENT DIAMOND MARKETER IN KONO DISTRICT, SIERRALEONE.
UNFORTUNATETELY FOR US,HE WAS AMONG THE TWELVE PROMINENT CITIZENS EXECUTED BY OUR PRESIDENT AHMED TEJAN KABBAH.MY FATHER, ALONG SIDE THE ELEVEENTH PROMINENT CITIZEN[BOTH CIVILIAN AND MILITARY]WHERE ACCUSED OF SUPPORTING AND SPONSORING THE FORMAL DICTATOR,MAJOR.PAUL JOHNNY KOROMAH TO OVERTHROW THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN 1991 BEFORE THE WAR FINALLY BROKED OUT. THEY WHERE EXECUTEDIN 2003 BEFORE THERE ARREST,MY LATE FATHER HAS ALREADY HANDED OVER SOME DOCUMENTS TO MY MOTHER ,WHICH REVEALS THAT,HE HAS DEPOSITED TWO SEALED BOXES,ONE CONTAINING(249kg)OF GOLD AND DIAMOND AND ANOTHER ONE CONTAINING A CASH(18.5million)u.s dollars, WAS DEPOSITED IN THE SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ACCRA THE CAPITAL STATE OF WEST AFRICAN GHANA, WHICH CONTAINED ABOUT EITHEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS , OF WHICH MY NAME IS THE NEXT OF KIN.MY LATE FATHER STATED THAT,HE REGISTERED THE BOTH BOXES AS CONTAINING PRECIOUS ITEMS AS AT THE TIME OF DEPOSIT IN ORDER NOT TO RAISE QUESTIONS.
THE OFFICERS OF THE LOCAL SECURITY COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BOXES ACTUALLY CONTAINS CASH.RIGHT NOW, MYSELF AND MY MOTHER ARE IN BUDUBURAM REFUGEES CAMP, HERE IN GHANA, WHERE WE FLEE TO BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN OUR COUNTRY.I WANT YOU TO COME DOWN TO GHANA TO ASSIST US FACILITATES THE REMOVAL OF THE DEPOSITED BOXES FROM THE SECURITY CAMPANY AND DEPOSIT HOUSE, AND LATER ASSIST US TO BUY HOUSE IN YOUR COUNTRY, AND INVEST THE REST FOR US IN ANY BUSINESS SINCE WE DO NOT WANT TO RE-SETTLED IN AFRICA DUE TO THE INTRUSTION MY LATE FATHER GAVE TO ME, THAT PEOPLE NOT TO SET THIER EYES ON OUR FAMILY.IF I HAVE YOUR CO-OPERATION,I HAVE AGREED WITH MY MOTHER AND OUR LAWYER THAT WE WILL GIVE YOU 10% OF ALL THE MONEY AND 5%FOR THE EXPENCESE,AND WE WILL SEE THAT YOU ARE GENEROUSLY COMPENSATED.
PLEASE INDICATE YOUR INTREST BY REPLYING TO ME ON THIS MAIL.SO THAT I CAN PREPARE THE NECCESSARY AGGREEMENT.I do not know to what extent you are current with events and disturbances in Sierra Leone. But you can copy and view these sites below to know more about.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3112659.stm
YOUR'S FAITH FULLY. JONATHAN SANKOH.
_________________________________________________________________
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