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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: "mark pjohnson" <markp_johnson@msn.com>
Reply-To: d_dada@postino.it
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2005 13:20:17 +0000
Subject: Urgent!!

Dear sir,
CONFIDENTIAL
Compliment of the day!
With the good reference made of your esteemed personal/office by the chamber
of commerce here in Accra Ghana, I hereby wish to commence talks with you
on a high confidential level.
I am Billy Bangura presently a political refugee in Accra Ghana the son
of the former MINISTER OF FINANCE of SIERRA LEONE, MR THAIMU BANGURA a gold
dealer.
During the recent crisis in my country, my late father was captured and
killed by the rebels who accused him of mis-appropriation of funds and
embezzlement.
Shortly after his death, I and the rest of the family escaped to Ghana-West
Africa region for safety.
He [my late father] left some document with me indicating consignment
deposit made with a security company here in Ghana before his death, which
the content US $50M {Fifty Million United States Dollars}.
I and my family are soliciting for your personal assistance with top arrange
and to receive this money on behalf of my family and ensure that the money
is utilized wisely in a country of stable Economy like your country. The
purpose of the money will be for a viable investment after we have collected
the money from the security Vault Company. The box was deposited for
safe-keeping and your assistance is required because our status as political
refugee does not permit us to handle large sum of money here, and you will
also be excepted to provide us with information on investment opportunities
in your country. We do not wish to contact any of my late father's business
comrades/partner because we do not know who exactly caused his death.
I and my family reason of contacting you is for your co-operation for you to
assist the family in the removing of the fund out of the security company in
your favour and ours as well. Moreover, to help us use the fund carefully
for investment. All the necessary document are at my reach. With confidence
in you as a trust-worthy person to act in good faith! I will introduce you
to an attorney as my father's foreign partner who will assist you with legal
proceedings.
Since your particulars will appear on every vital document as the owner of
the fund this transaction will attract 30% for the assist you are rendering.
I look forward to your reply.
Best regards,
Billy Bangura.
[For: The Family]


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