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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: MERLIN SMITH DUVAL <merlinsmithduval@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 19:37:25 +0000
Subject: URGENT RESPOND NEEDED

Dear Sir/Ma,

I am Mrs Merlin Smith Duval, i am a widow to late Mr. William Duval. I
am 55 years old, and suffering from long time cancer of the breast.
>From all indication my condition is really deteriorating and it is
quite obvious that i might not live more than two weeks, according to
my doctor because the cancer has gotten to a very worst / dangerous
stage.

My late husband and my only child died last three years ago, his death
was politically motivated. My late husband was a very rich and wealthy
business man who was running his cocoa / timber plantation business in
Côte d'Ivoire. After his death, i started managing all his business
and wealth. My late husband deposited (4.5million dollars) in one of
the big security company in this country in Africa, he wanted to use
the fund to expand his cocoa/ timber plantation business to other
African countries before his sudden death.

This fund is still in this security company till today, now that my
doctors has advised me that i may not live for more than two weeks
because of sickness, i decided to donate the sum of Us$4,500,000.00 (
Four million, five hundred thousand united states dollars) for
humanitarian work because i cannot take this money to the grave.

I sincerely request for your assistance in this humanitarian work. I
want to transfer the fund to your bank account so that you will use
80% of the fund to help the following people:

1, Motherless babies.
2, Widows.
3, Disable people.

The 20% of the fund is for you and your family, if you will accept to
do this humanitarian work. You will promised me that you will not
disappoint me when the fund will be transferred to your bank account
there in your country, and you will also assured me that you will use
the 80% of the money for the said purpose.

Reply to me urgently if you are interested in this transaction because
any delay to your response will give me a room to look for another
reliable person for the same purpose, hoping to hear from you.
Thanks and God bless you.
Mrs. Merlin Smith Duval

Email:merlinsmith99@yahoo.com

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