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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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Fraud email example:

From: "sarah johnson" <sarahjohnson_j12@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 05:42:44 +0200
Subject: CRY FOR HELP.

FROM MRS. SARAH JOHNSON.

JOHANNESBURG.

SOUTH AFRICA.

FAX: 1-347-402-0123

TEL: +27-73-583-9881

ATTN: SIR,

You might be surprise to receive this letter from me since you don't know me
personally. I am MRS. SARAH JOHNSON the wife of late MR MICHAEL JOHNSON who
was murdered by the Zimbabwe war veterans and irate black people. I got your
contact e-mail address through South Africa chamber of commerce and
industry. After due consideration of your profile, hence I decided to write
to you. I write to solicit for your special assistance to my family
shattered by a tyrannical Government led by a dictator and his (ZANU-PF)
ruling party. President Robert Mugabe.

Because of land and farmland crisis in Zimbabwe the Government secretly
sponsored the war veterans and some irate party members to disposed the land
being occupied by the white farmers. This action hassled to killing of some
members of opposition party including my husband who did not support this
ill-fated action.

But before the death of my husband, he anticipated some dangers and so he
smuggled out the sum of US$14M (FOURTHEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS) to
South Africa and deposited it in a Security Company with the intention of
using it for the purchase of farm machinery and chemicals for agricultural
purpose in South Africa and establishment of a new farm in Swaziland.

This money was deposited in a box as a germ stone to avoid much demurrage in
the Security Company. On the 29 august 2001 the war veterans and some
spotters of (ZANU-PF) ruling party trooped into our compound and axed my
husband to death and my second son of 22yrs. Since then they have been
terrorizing my son Anthony but he managed to escape to neighboring country
South Africa as a political asylum seeker (refugee).

His position in South Africa dose not permits him to open an account or to
operate any business. That is why I want this fund to be transferred in your
account so that you will assist him to invest the money in your country. I
must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk free. If you accept to
assist us, all I want from you is to arrange and come down to Johannesburg
South Africa so that you can help him to open a non-resident bank account in
your name which will aid us in transferring the money into your nominating
account overseas. I have two option for you, firstly, you can choose to have
certain percentage of the money for nominating your account in this
transaction or we can go into partnership with you for the proper profitable
investment of the money in your country whichever the option you want feel
free to notify with him. He will then furnish you with every detail you
needed to know. We have also mapped out 5% of the total sum for any expenses
that might be incurred during the time of this transaction.

If you do not prefer a partnership, we are willing to give you 25% of the
money while remaining 70% will remain for my family, if you are really
capable and willing to assist us please contact him immediately in South
Africa with this e-mail that I used to sent this mail to you.

Finally please treat this matter as urgent as possible, I'm in dire him to
leave that country soonest. Thanks for you're mutual co-operation. AND I
EXPECT YOUR URGENT CALL TO MY SON ANTHONY TO THIS PHONE NUMBER
+27-73-583-9881 SO THAT HE WILL FURNISH YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION.

Best Regards,

(MRS SARAH JOHNSON)

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