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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: "smith lee" <smithlee_5000@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: smith_lee@walla.com
Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 11:02:43 +0000
Subject: PLEASE GET BACK

DEAR SIR,

IT IS MY PLASURE TO WRITE YOU THIS LETTER,FIRST OF ALL LET
ME INTRODUCE MY SELF TO YOU,I AM SMITH LEE THE SON OF LATE
MR NASO LEE,I LOST MY FATHER AND MOTHER INTHIS LAST TSUNAMI
DISASTER THAT HAPPEND IN INDONESIA,BUT I AM NOT IN THE
CONUNTRY WHEN THIS TSUNAMI TAKE PLACE I SCHOOL IN SOUTH AFRICA AND AS I
HEARD ABOUT IT THAT THE WHOLE OF MY FAMILY WAS AFFECTED IN THIS
TSUNAMI DISASTER IN INDONESIA.

LIKE YOU CAN SEE MY FATHER WAS A GREAT MAN IN
INDONESIA AND HE HAS MORE THAN FIVE COMPANYS OVER
THERE AND EVERY THING WAS AFFECTED IN THIS DISASTER
IN INDONESIA,AND MY FATHER DIED AND LEFT OVER
15,MILLION POUNDS OVER IN HIS ACCOUNT AND I DONT
KNOW HOW TO CLAIM IT AND I DONT WANT ANY BODY TO KNOW THAT
MY FATHER HAS THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN HIS ACCOUNTSO
PLEASE IF ONLY YOU CAN BE MY NEXT OF KIN TO CLAIM THIS
MONEY ON MY BEHALF AND PUT IT IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO SAVE ME
LIFE AND THE MONEY,LET ME TELL YOU I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENT
OF THIS MONEY IN MY SIDE NOW SO I SEEK FOR YOUR HELP AND
CORRAGE TO HELP ME OUT OF THIS CRITICAL SITUATION.

I WILL NEED YOUR FULL NAME AND FULL ADDRESS YOUR
PHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASSY COMMUNICATION WITH YOU.I
LOOK FORWARD TO HARING FROM YOU SOON.

BEST REGARDS
SMITH LEE.


Anti-fraud resources: