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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: "michael michael" <adoptit9@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: thirtyforus@shymail.com
Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2005 04:39:22 +0000
Subject: MORE MONEY FOR YOU, BUT CAN YOU BE TRUSTED?.


Kindly accept my apology for sending this unexpected mail to you which I
hope you will treat as HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL.I believe you are a highly
respected personality, considering the fact that i sourced your profile from
a human resource profile database on your country.I am Mr Michael Butler a
canadian National and a crude oil Merchant before I was diagnosed with
esophageal cancer, 6 days after i arrived lagos, Nigeria for my regular
Crude oil business.These disease has defiled all medical solutions and
according to medical experts, I only have a few more months to live. As you
read this you do not have to feel sorry for me as it is a universal truth
that we all must die someday, the only problem with mine though being that I
have particularly not lived my life well in spite of my wealth and
possessions as I never really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my
business. Though I am very rich I was never generous, I was never caring
about people but only dedicated my time and resources on my business as that
was the only thing I cared about. But now I regret all this as I now know
that there is more to life than just accumulating all the wealth in the
world as I lay helplessly on my sick bed. If I was given a second chance to
live again I sure would live my life a different way from how I have lived
it owing to what has befallen me now. As my last days alive are drawing
closer and closer I have already willed out most of my properties and assets
to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close friends.
I also want my soul to be at peace with God and for him to be merciful on me
and accept my soul and to this regard I have resolved to give my remaining
funds to charity organizations as I want this to stand as one of the last
deeds I indulge in on earth before I die. Though I have already distributed
money to some charity organizations, Now that my health has deteriorated so
badly I can no longer continue with this myself and also I do not trust my
immediate family members or close friends on this as I have once asked them
to close one of my accounts and distribute the funds therein to charity
organizations in Bulgaria, mexico, India and south africa but they greedily
kept the money to themselves and can't even take a trip down here to africa
to see my present condition. Hence I am contacting you with this as I have
lost confidence in them because it is obvious they are not contended with
what I have left for them. The last of my funds which no one knows of is a
cash deposit of Nine million U.S Dollars ($9,000,000,00) stashed in 2 trunk
boxes and declared as Personal effects of high security value which I have
with a finance/Security Company in Europe.I am prepared to offer you 20% (or
a re-negotiated sum) of the total amount received,if you assist me in
claiming the funds from the financial and security vault in london, where i
deposited two {2} boxes containing the funds.I honestly assure you that this
deal is 100% risk-free, So Please get back to me immediatly,if you are
interested and capable of helping.If you can convince me of your honesty and
profound interest in this transaction,then i can proceed to furnish you with
the details of this transaction.I need sound assurance that you are solvent
and capable of handling a transaction of this magnitude and that you would
follow my instructions strictly.

I look forward to your prompt reply.

Warm regards,
Mr Michael Butler


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