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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: "otager benson" <otager_benson12@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2005 23:41:49 -0500
Subject: PLEASE VER Y URG E NT.

otager_benson2000@yahoo.com>
I have decided to contact you for confidential, urgent and rewarding joint
business.
My name is MR Benson Otager, I was a Personal Assistant to the Late Congo
President, LAURENT KABILA, who was assasinated in February and my aim of
writing to you is because of the need for a trusted and honest
person, who I can entrust the sum of US$12,800,000 (Twelve million, eight
hundred thousand USDollars).
Source of the money: I and the late president secured this money in a
security firm in Accra Ghana, in my name before his death. Now that he is
late, I want to transfer the money out of Africa, for investment in your
country, I can not travel out of where I am on asylum, hence I am asking for
by our assistance to have this money in your care pending when I will
secure travel documents to come over to your country.If you accept
this offer we shall share the money as follows: for you, 25%, 75% for me. I
have all the title documents to the fund
which I can transfer to you to enable you have assess to it. Be assured that
is risk-free and legitimate.
Please advise me on your position by this e-mail:otager_benson2000@yahoo.com

immedaitely, Please I await your
prompt reply.
Mr Otager Benson


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