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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: Peter Ogatey <medetiate600@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <medetiate6000@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2007 01:57:26 +0000
Subject: We Need Your Help Please (Peter and Mercy).


Hello DearestWe shall really like to have a good relationship with you, and we have a special reason why we decided to contact you. We decided to contact you because of the urgency of our situation here in Ghana, We are Peter Ogatey 22 and my younger sister Mercy Ogatey 19 years old, from Liberia. The only children of Late Fred Ogatey the deputy minister of national security under the leadership of president Charles Taylor who is now in exile after many innocent soul were killed , Our father was killed by government of Charles Taylor, he accuse our father of coup attempt. We are constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment we are receiving from our step mother.She planned to take away all our late father's treasury and properties from us since the unexpected death of our beloved Father. Meanwhile we wanted to escape to Europe but she hide away our international passports and other valuable travelling documents. Luckily she did not discover where we kept our father’s File which contains important documents. So we decided to run to the refegee camp where we are presently seeking asylum under the United Nations High Commission for the Refegee here in accra Ghana, Republic GHANA.We wish to contact you personally for a long term business relationship and investment assistance in your Country. Our father of blessed memory deposited the sum of US$ 7,000,000.00 in Bank with my name ( PETER OGATEY )as the next of kin. However, We shall forward you with the necessay documents on confirmation of your acceptance to assist us for the transfer and investment of the fund.As you will help us in an invsetment, and we shall like to complete our studies in the university before we droped out when the crisis started.It is my intention to compensate you with 30% of the total money for your services and the balance shall be my investment capital.This is the reason why we decided to contact you. As soon as we receive your positive response showing your interest we will reply to you immediately. so we shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely. Please do keep this only to your self please i begging you not to disclose it till we come over once the fund has been transfered.Thanks and best regards to you and your loving family.Yours Sincerely,Peter and Mercy
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