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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "Joseph Koroma" <JosephKoroma2@netscape.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 06:56:10 +0500
Subject: FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.

Dear Friend,

Permit me to inform you of my desire to go into business with you. I got
your name and contact on the
Internet during my search for a sincere partner. I prayed and to choose
your name among others due
to its nature of estimation and on recommendations given to me as someone
honorable and worthy of
confidence whom I can do business with. And, by the recommendation, I must
not hesitate to confide
myself to you for this simple and sincere business.

I am (Joseph Koroma), the only son of the late Makalala. Koroma that my
father was a very rich
Businessman dealing on Gold Farmer equipments in Zimbabwe and also the
exporter of gold to Europe
and America, the economic capital of Zimbabwe, my father died in hospital
of heart attack. My mother
also died when I was just a baby and since then it was my father who was
taking care of me until his
death.

Before the death of my father, in January 2002, in private hospital, he
secretly called me to his bedside
and told me that he had the sum of Eleven million, five hundred thousand
United States American dollars
(S$11,500,000) being in a two trunk boxes and he deposited it in a
security company in Europe. That he
used my name as that of his only son.

Then because of this political crisis that started here, it's why I seek a
foreign associate, I am presently in
the Europe where I am seeking political asylum for the security of my life,

Dear friend, I honorably seek your aid in the following manner:

(1) To serve as the guardian of these funds since I am only 24

(2) To make arrangements for me to come to your country to continue my
education and for me to obtain
residence papers in your country.

Besides this, sir, I am disposed to offer you 20% of the entire sum as
compensation for your effort to have
helped me after the transfer succeeded of these funds in your account, and
I will give you 5% for the
other expenses.

Moreover, you indicate your options for helping me and I believe that this
transaction could be concluded
as soon as you accept to help me. I urgently await your sure response.

E-mail:JosephKoroma@netscape.net
Thanks may God bless you.

Sincerely yours,

Joseph Koroma.




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