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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: =?utf-8?B?IlBhdmVsIO+/vXRvbGwi?= <vokovice@iol.cz>
Reply-To: transferonline@btinternet.com
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:30:16 GMT
Subject: WILLED FUNDS FOR GOOD WORK




My Dear,

It`s me Mrs. Hardiman, please I have been waiting for you to contact me regarding your willed fund of ($4,700,000.00 USD) but i did not hear from you since the last time. Well I finally went and deposited the fund in a bank, as I will be going in for an operation any moment from now. I hope you are aware that I have been diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago, that was immediately after the death of my husband before I was touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of God than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly.

What you have to do now is to contact the Bank as soon as possible to know when they will Transfer the money to you to start the good work of the lord as initially arranged, and to help the motherless less privilege also for the assistance of the widows according to (JAMES 1:27). For your information, I have paid all the Charges, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorism in your Country.

The only money you have to send to the Bank is the account opening fee due to my method of deposit. Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except account opening charges.

Please kindly contact the bank on Tel: +13-162-651-1808 /Fax: +31-847-301-282. OR via E-MAIL: transferonline@btinternet.com with your full names contact telephone/fax number and your full address and tell them that I have deposited the sum of ($4,700,000.00 USD) in the Unit account of the bank and you are the present beneficiary to the sum. I will inform the bank immediately that I have WILL-IN that amount to you for a specific work.

Let me repeat again, try to contact the Bank as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their account set up fee for their immediate action. I will also appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. Also I will be contacting you by email as I don't want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Yours Faithfully,
Mrs Marian Hardiman

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