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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: "John Vatsa" <joauduvat@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: johnauduvatsa@ozu.es
Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 13:38:09 +0000
Subject: ( )

Attention Please!,
My name is John Audu Vatsa, only Son of Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa. (1944-86), Nigerian poet, a major-general in the Nigerian army, minister of the new federal capital Abuja, and a member of the Supreme Military Council. He was executed following an abortive coup on March 5, 1986 Because my father died by firing squad, my family instantly became taboo, and we were ostracized from the society, and we lost all our friends; I left the prestigious Military School at Zaria, and went to school down South-East, at Enugu.
Last Monday(my 21st birthday),my mother took me to our underground basement and showed me a cleverly constructed secret store room, in which were 3 large iron boxes of about 3 feet square each. She produced three keys, and opened each box to reveal bundles and bundles of US 100 Dollar bills!. I demanded an explanation and she said that my father hid the money before he was arrested and shot dead by the Military Government. She kept the secret from fear of the money being confiscated! I spent 3 days with the help of 2 servants and counted all the money. The total was USD60,000,000.00 (Sixty million USD). Obviously, my father made this money as Minister of Abuja Federal Capital Territory, the most lucrative job in Nigeria, even today! My mother further explained that the money was paid to my father by foreign multinational corporations, who executed the multi billion Dollar New Abuja Capital project. I was satisfied that no one can trace!
the money, and I decided to put the money in small bits into the banking system. I then removed one bundle of USD10,000.00 and took it to a local money changer to change into local currency, the Naira. . But the money dealer examined the money closely and declared that they were genuine US Dollar Notes, BUT THAT HE COULD NOT CHANGE THEM FOR ME! I WAS STUNNED! I ASKED WHY, AND THE DEALER PATIENTLY EXPLAINED THAT HE COULD ONLY CHANGE NOTES OF SERIES MARCH, 1996; He said that he could not exchange USD100 Notes issued BEFORE MARCH, 1996; I made further discreet enquiries and found that the USD100 Notes now in circulation all over the world are The 1996-2001 Series $100 Note, first issued in March of 1996. I also found that I could change the stored notes into the new USD Notes but I must apply through a Bank...This is impossible because the Government will surely seize the money... Now, I ask you two questions...Is the Pre Marc!
h 1996 USD Notes still Legal Tender in your Country? Is it possible
to exchange the Notes in your Country?
If your answer is yes, then I urgently need your help .Please send me the following info: 1. Your complete name and address 2. your confidential telephone, fax and email address If you do, I will send you more details about how I intend to ship the money to your Country or nominated address. If you help me, you will take 30% of the money.
Best regards,
John A. Vatsa
No: 7 Oshifila Street, Ikeja-Lagos, Nigeria
PLEASE REPLY TO MY PRIVATE EMAIL:johnauduvatsa@ozu.es



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