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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: Alhaji Mohammed<mohammedng@excite.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 05:54:26 -0500
Subject: Attn: Business Proposal!!!


URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

I am Alhaji Mohammed Abacha, the son of the late
Nigerian Head of State who died on the 8th of June
1998 while in active services.
Following the sudden death of my father, General Sani
Abacha, the present Civilian Government has thrown my
family and I into a state of utter confusion,
frustration,and hopelessness. I have been subjected to
inhuman physical and physiological torture,
incarceration by the security Agents in my country. I
was only recently released from detention after been
arraigned before the Federal High Court of Nigeria for
an offence committed by my late father.

The incumbent civilian administration of Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo has intensified his probe into my
late father\'s activities while in the office and he
has frozen all our local and foreign accounts together
with other assets of my family as a retaliation for
what my late father did to him when he was alive as
the Head of the Military regime in Nigeria. As a
matter of fact, we have been declared bankrupt and
they are not relenting to make us poor for life.

As a man that is so traumatized, I have lost
confidence with anybody within my country as all those
who benefited immensely during the regime of my late
father have openly abandoned all my family.

MY REASONS FOR CONTACTING YOU.

I got your contacts through my personal research and
out of desperation decided to reach you through this
medium.

You must have heard over the media reports and the
Internet on the recovery of various huge sums of money
deposited by my late father in different Banks and
security firms abroad. Some of these banks and
security firms willingly gave-up/divulge their banking
secrets and disclosed to the present civilian
administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, all my
family\'s cash lodgement and monetary transactions with
them.

Please my dear, I repose great confidence in you and I
hope you will not betray my confidence in you.

I have secretly deposited the sum of $20,000,000.00
with a security firm abroad whose name is withheld for
now until we open communications. The money is
contained in a metal box consignment with Security
Deposit Number.

I shall be grateful if you could receive this fund
into your Bank account for safekeeping. This
arrangement is known to you and my junior brother
(Abbas) only. So I will deal directly with you. I am
proposing a 20% share of the fund to you for your kind
assistance. I shall provide for you all the documents
of the fund deposit with the security firm, and raise
a power of attorney `to enable you claim and receive
this fund into your bank account.

Also this transaction demands absolute
confidentiality. On no condition must you disclose it
to anybody irrespective of your relation with the
person. Remember, Loose lips sinks ship

I am looking forward to your urgent and positive
response via my email above.

Best regards

Alhaji Mohammed Abacha.

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