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

Fraud email example:

From: "josnd@go.com" <josnd@go.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:43:53 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: URGENT ATTENTION.



TRANSACTION ASSISTANCE.
DEAR FRIEND, MY NAME IS JOHNSON NDIOVU, THE ELDEST SON OF MR.AKUGA NDIOVU OF ZIMBABWE IT MIGHT BE A SURPRISE TO YOU, WHERE I GOT YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS, I GOT IT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES. DURING THE CURRENT CRISIS AGAINST THE FARMERS OF ZIMBABWE BY THE SUPPORTERS OF OUR PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE TO CLAIM ALL THE WHITE OWNED FARMERS IN OUR COUNTRY, HE ORDERED ALL WHITE FARMERS TO SURRENDER THEIR FARMS TO HIS PARTY MEMBERS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS. MY FATHER WAS ONE OF THE BEST FARMERS IN THE COUNTRY AND KNOWING THAT HE DID NOT SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS INVADED MY FATHER'S FARM AND BURNT DOWN EVERYTHING, SHOT HIM AND AS A RESULT OF THE WOUNDS SUSTAINED,HE BECAME SICK AND DIED AFTER TWO DAYS. AFTER HIS DEATH, MY MOTHER AND I TOGETHER WITH MY YOUNGER BROTHER DECIDED TO MOVE OUT OF ZIMBABWE FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR LIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE I LATER MOVE TO EUROPE. BUT BEFORE MY FATHER DIED, HE WROTE A WILL, WHICH READS. MY BELOVED SON, I WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUM OF (US$15.5 MILLION DOLLARS) WHICH I DEPOSITED WITH A COURIER COMPANY IN EUROPE IN CASE I WANT TO INVEST THE MONEY, HE DEPOSITED THE MONEY IN A COURIER COMPANY WITH MY NAME (JOHNSON NDIOVU) AND IT CAN BE CLAIM BY ME ALONE WITH THE DEPOSIT CODE, ALL THE DOCUMENT COVERING THIS MONEY IS WITH ME. I WANT TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY MOTHER AND BROTHER. FROM THE ABOVE REASONS, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIVES OF MY FAMILY DEPEND ON THIS MONEY. AS SUCH, I WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU CAN ASSIST US, I AM NOW LIVING IN EUROPE AS POLITICAL ASYLUM AND THE FINANCIAL LAWS OF EUROPIANS DO NOT ALLOW ASYLUM SEEKERS CERTAIN FINANCIAL RIGHTS TO SUCH HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY. IN VIEW OF THIS, I CANNOT INVEST THIS MONEY ALL ALONE HENCE I AM SEEKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THIS MONEY OUT OF COURIER COMPANY FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE. FOR YOUR EFFORTS, I AM PREPARED TO OFFER YOU 15% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS, 5% FOR ANY EXPENSES THAT MAY BE INCURRED IN THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION, 60% FOR THE INVESTMENT OF ANY BUSINESS YOU KNOW MUCH ABOUT, WHILE 20% WILL BE KEPT FOR MY FAMILY AND I. FINALLY, MODALITIES ON HOW THE TRANSFER WILL BE DONE WILL CONVEYED TO YOU ONCE WE ESTABLISH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE BETWEEN OURSELVES. LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR URGENT REPLY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ME ON THIS ALTERNATE EMAIL: jsdvu23z@netscape.net NOTE. THE KEY WORD TO THIS TRANSACTION IS ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECRECY AND YOUR URGENT RESPONSE WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED. THANKS AND GOD BLESS, JOHNSON NDIOVU
(For the Family).

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