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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: "abacha mohammed" <abacha147@msn.com>
Reply-To: alhaji_mohammed_sa@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 12:05:11 +0000
Subject: Good Day

Dear friend,
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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