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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: KADIRATU USMAN <kadiusman@yahoo.cn>
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:11:48 +0100
Subject: Private Message from Kuwait. I need your help


From Mrs Kadiratu Usman, I am Sister Kadiratu Usman. From Kuwait, I
am married to late Mr. Ahmed Usman. He worked with Kuwait embassy in Ivory
Coast for nine years before he died in the year 2009 April 26. We were
married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness
that lasted for only four days. When my late Husband was alive he
deposited the sum of $4,500,000.00 (Four million Five hundred U.S. Dollars)
in a bank on my name as beneficiary of the fund here in Abidjan. Recently,
my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next Eight months due to
cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Nobody
will ever come because the certificate of deposit is never available to any
body except the depositor or me. I will be looking forward to your
indication of interest so that we can proceed with the process of claiming
the funds with the below information I will like you send to me: Your
Full Name.Address.Nationality.Age.Sex.Occupation.Tel number Having known
my condition I decided to donate this fund to a church that will utilize
this money the way I am going to instruct herein. I want you to use this
fund for orphanages, widows, propagating the word of God and to endeavour
that the house of God is maintained. The Bible made us to understand that
pleased is the hand that giveth I took this decision because I don't have
any child that will inherit this money and my late husband relatives are
not Christians and I don't want my our efforts to be used by unbelievers. I
don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly way.
please i need your kind urgent response.

Remain Bless, Yours in
Christ, Sister Kadiratu Usman

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