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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: "=?utf-8?Q?Mrs=2e_Stella_=28via_Flickr=29?=" <stellaegoburukehh@yahoo.co.th>
Date: 03 Jun 2009 22:58:36 +0000
Subject: =?utf-8?Q?=5bFlickr=5d_Mrs=2e_Stella_wants_you_to_see_a_photo?=

Mrs. Stella Egoburukeh
Abidjan - Ivory Coast
stellaegoburukehh@yahoo.co.th

My Dear,

It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture
which I intend to establish in your country. Though I have
not met with you before but I believe, one has to risk
confiding in someone to succeed in life.

There is this amount of Five million Three hundred
thousand U.S dollars($5.3,000,000.00) which my late father
kept for me in a Security Company here in Cote d'Ivoire
before his untimely death. Now I have decided to invest the
money anywhere safe enough outside my Country for security
and political reasons. I want you to help for the transfer
and also for investment of this funds into lucrative
business where tax will not take much tools in your country.

If you will be of assistance to me I will be pleased to
offer to you 10% of the total money, more detail information
coming upon hearing from you. You are free to ask question
were necessary, I await your soonest response.

Kindest regards,

Mrs. Stella Egoburukeh

flowers with dew
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jk10976/543389275/

(By the way, if the photostream link doesn't work, try
copying and pasting it from this email into your browser's
address bar.)

Anti-fraud resources: