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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Princess Fayad .W. Bolkiah" <prfayad@jmail.co.za>
Reply-To: prfb73@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 16:32:31 -0700
Subject: From Princes Fayad Of Brunei


Dearest,
I am contacting you for an urgent assistance to mobilize a business transaction and to invest into your business in your country.
I am the wife of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, former Finance Minister of Brunei, on the tiny oil-rich sultanate on the Gulf Island. I will save your time by not amplifying my extended royal family history, which has already been disseminated by the international media during the controversial dispute that erupted between my husband and his stepbrother, the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda Hassanal Bolkiah.
As you may know from the international media, the sultan had accused my husband of financial mismanagement and impropriety of Billions of dollars. This was as a result of the Asian financial crisis that made my husband's company Amedeo Development Company and government owned Brunei Investment Company to be declared bankrupt during his tenure in office.
However my husband is in jail now, his bank accounts and private properties including a crude oil export refinery have been confiscated by the sultanate.

Furthermore, during this unfortunate period I was advised to evacuate my immediate family outside the sultanate to avoid further prosecution from the sultan and his security operatives, but luck ran against me on my attempt to escape. I am now kept under house arrest by the Sultan and I have no access to a phone but I have a Palm V hand-held computer from
which I am sending you this mail.
Before my In-castration, I went ahead to dispatch the sum of Five Hundred Million United States Dollars in cash under special arrangement into the custody of different Private security and Trustee companies for safe keeping abroad. This action was on the orders of my husband to me to enable us start a new life. The money where spitted and
kept in the following countries in this proportion:which i will disclose to you later Million is in The Netherlands and other countries .
Hence I seek your good assistance to invest these funds into profitable investment in your country to facilitate future survival for my family abroad. I have decided to offer 20% of these funds to you as compensation for your strong cooperation.
Please I count on your absolute confidentiality, transparency and trust while looking forward to your prompt reply towards a swift conclusion of this business transaction.
Many Thanks & May Allah blessing remain with you, Amin.
I remain yours sincerely
Princess Fayad .W. Bolkiah

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