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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: richard sanko <richard_sao91@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <richard_sank1@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:13:14 +0200
Subject: Dearest One,



Dearest One,Good day to you.My name is Richard Sanko from Sierra Leone, I am the only son of late Mr Robert Sanko from Sierra Leone, who was killed in Cote d ivoire where he based as an exporter/contractor he also deals on Gold.
During one of his visit to my country he handed me some documents which he used in depositing the sum of $10.5 (ten million And Five hundred thousand US dollars ) with a bank before his death,my father deposited this money as a family valuables.
My father married my mother as his legitimate wife unfortunately she died when I was only five so my father was forced to have another wife and since this woman came into my fathers life things has not been easy with me, she treats me as a slave and try as much as possible to eliminate me if possible for her as the only child, this pushed my father to keep me away from her to save my life as the only child he has because the woman was unable to bear any child for him and to avoid misunderstandings between us.
Why I contacted you is to seek for your urgent assistance to represent in the bank as my late fathers foreign business partner, to take me as your own biological child,to look for a good school in your country where i will further my education immedaitely the bank releases the money to you. I don't no my father's relations since I was rejected by my father's second wife and I have no other person to turn to rather than to seek for an assistance elsewhere. Things has not been easy since I lost my father and I have been managing for the past three years since I lost my father.I am now in the United Nation Refugee Camp.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank and, I will also issue a letter of authorization to the bank that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money because it was deposited as family valuables,
Please when replying send me the following items so that i will submit it to the bank as my late fathers business partner: 1,Your Name......................................................2,Telephone and fax number............................3,Your Photo.......................................................4,Your Home Address......................................5,Your Occupation..............................................6,Your Country name...................................... God bless.Master Richard Sanko.
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