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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: "HALIMAT FAHD" <halimatfahdaziz@msn.com>
Reply-To: halimatfahdaziz@zensearch.com
Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 20:13:55 +0000
Subject: HELLO

I AM MRS. HALIMAT FAHD BIN ABDUL AZIZ, ONE OF THE
SEVERAL WIFES OF THE LATE KING FAHD BIN ABDUL AZIZ OF
SAUDI ARABIA. I PRAY THAT YOU FIND A PLACE IN YOUR
HEART TO BELIEVE MY STORY, CONSIDERING HOW THE NEWS IS
MAKING THE ROUND ABOUT INTERNET SCAM.

I AM A WOMAN THAT HAS BEEN IN SERVITUDE ALL MY LIFE,
AS I WAS BORN AND BRED IN THE PART OF THE WORLD WHERE
WOMEN ARE RELEGATED TO THE BACKGROUND IN THE NAME OF
RELIGION, WHERE WOMEN ARE TREATED AS SUB-STANDARD
HUMAN BEINGS IN THE NAME OF RELIGION. IN ALL MY LIFE,
I HAVE NEVER KNOWN FREEDOM AND WOULD NEVER KNOW HOW IT
FEELS LIKE TO BE FREE, UNTIL I JOIN MY HUSBAND, THE
LATE KING FAHD, IN THE WORLD BEYOND, EXCEPT FOR SOME
DIVINE INTERVENTION.

AS IT IS CUSTOMARY IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD, I AM IN
"PUDAH" WHICH MEANS STAYING INDOORS AND CLOSED TO
EVERY OTHER MEN APART FROM YOUR HUSBAND AND EVEN WHEN
I MUST GO OUT, I WILL HAVE TO COVER ALL THE PART OF MY
BODY INCLUDING MY FACE AND UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF
SOME CLOSE OBSERVER.
AGAINST MY WILL, I WAS FORCED TO MARRY THE LATE KING
FAHD AT THE TENDER AGE OF 21YEARS IN 1992 WHICH WAS
BARELY 3YEARS BEFORE THE KING WAS REDUCED TO A MERE
VEGETABLE FROM A SEVERE STROKE ATTACK WHICH HE
SUFFERED UNTIL HIS DEATH. I WAS BETROTHED TO THE THE
KING FROM MY YOUTHFUL DAYS, UNDERMINDING THE FACT THAT
HE WAS OLD ENOUGH TO BE MY GRAND FATHER, THESE ARE THE
KIND OF HUMAN DEGRADATION WE EXPIRIENCE IN THIS PART
OF THE WORLD AND THAT IS HOW UNLUCKY IT COULD BE WHEN
A MONARCH OF THE CALIBRE OF FAHD ASKS ONES PARENTS FOR
HER HAND IN MARRIAGE, NOBODY DARE REFUSES HIS WISH.
MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN HORRIBLE APART FROM
ACCUMULATING WEALTH, WEALTH THAT I MAY NEVER BE FREE
TO ENJOY BECAUSE AS IT IS TRADITIONAL HERE, AT THE
DEATH OF THE KING, I AUTOMATICALLY BELONG TO THE CROWN
PRINCE, ABDULLAH, I AND ALL THAT I POSSESS AND THE
SLAVERY CONTINUES FROM THERE, BUT I HAVE RESOLVED NOT
TO LET THIS BE, I HAVE PLANNED TO ELOPE AFTER I HAVE
ACTUALISE MY PLANS.

IN ALL THESE YEARS THAT KING FAHD HAS BEEN SICK, I
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE UP SOME MONEY FOR MYSELF WHICH
HAS ACCUMULATED TO A TOTAL OF US$15.5MILLION AND I
HAVE TACTICALLY MOVED THESE FUNDS TO A SECURED HABOUR
IN DUBAI U.A.E, IF NOT FOR MY PERSONAL ENJOYMENT, AS I
AM PRESENTLY ENSLAVED, AT LEAST FOR MY ONLY SON,
HASSAN WHO IS JUST 14 YEARS OLD AND STILL A MINOR.
HASSAN IS THE ONLY PRODUCT OF THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN THE
KING AND I AND I AM DOING ALL THESE FOR HIM BECAUSE HE
IS ONLY A LAD AND WILL BE ILL TREATED BY HIS NUMEROUS
HALF BROTHERS WHO ARE OLD ENOUGH TO BE HIS GRAND
FATHER.

CONSIDERING MY SITUATION AS I HAVE TRUTHFULLY MADE
KNOWN TO YOU, I DESPERATELY NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE TO
MOVE THE FUNDS OUT OF THE SECURITY FIRM IN DUBAI AND
INVEST THEM FOR ME, PENDING WHEN MY SON WILL COME OF
AGE TO CLAIM HIS INHERIANCE. I WANT US TO GO INTO A
PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT, I AM SEEKING YOUR
ASSISTANCE BECAUSE I CANNOT TRUST ANY OF MY COUNTRYMEN
WITH THIS, THEY MIGHT BETRAY ME AND HAVE ME
STONED TO DEATH. I AM DOING THIS FOR MY ONLY SON, IF
YOU HAVE THE URGE TO HELP, PLEASE RESPOND AT ONCE AND
I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE FULL DETAILS OF THE MODUS
OPERANDI BUT IF MY STORY DOES COME TO YOU AS A MERE
FALACY, DO BE KIND ENOUGH TO IGNORE IT WITHOUT RAISING
AN ALARM.

I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AS I DO HAVE
THE STRONG CONVICTION THAT YOU WILL ASSIST ME.
YOURS SINCERELY,

HALIMAT FAHD BIN ABDUL AZIZ


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