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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: Hope Harmony <hokkou@pastel.ocn.ne.jp>
Reply-To: Hope Harmony <hhfamily2016@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2016 06:49:23 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Re:Please Reply Urgently


Dear Friend,

Greetings. I know that this message will look strange, surprising and probably unbelievable to you, but it is true and reality. I want to transfer the sum of: £15,000,000 (Fifteen Million British Pounds) to you. THIS IS NOT A JOKE, but after reading if it does not interest you please kindly delete it. I am contacting you by the Will of God. My name is: Engineer Mrs. Hope Harmony, I am a British business woman specialized in mining of raw Gold in Africa; but now I am critically sick with esophageal cancer which has damaged almost all the cells in my body system and I will soon die according to my doctors. My late husband died in an accident with our two daughters few years ago leaving me with our only son whom is just 10 years old and he is my most concern now as he is still a child and does not know anything about live and has nobody to take care of him after I am dead; because I and my late husband does not have any relatives, we both grew up in the orphanage home and got married under orphanage as orphans. So if I die now my innocent child would be left alone in this wicked world and I do not wish to send him to any orphanage home, I want him to grow up in the hands of an individual, not orphanage. Please, i am begging you in the name of God to sincerely accept my proposal; let me instruct my bank to wire transfer my fund worth the sum of: £15 MILLION POUNDS to your account in your country immediately, then you take my son to your home and raise him as your own son.

Please reply immediately if you agree, so that we can arrange it fast before anything happens to me.

Yours Sincerely,
Engr. Mrs. Hope Harmony.
IN GOD I TRUST.



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