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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: "mary kobe" <mary_kobe99@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mkobe2008@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 08:03:28 +0000
Subject: Dearly Beloved

ATTN: Dearly Beloved,


This communication to you is strictly confidential, with due respect.
Sorry at this perceived confusion or stress you may have receiving this
letter from me, Since we have not known ourselves or met previously.
Despite that, I am constrained to write you this letter because of the
urgency of it.By way of self introduction, I am Mrs. Mary Kobe, the
wife
of late Brigadier - Gen.Maxwell Kobe former ECOMOG ARMY COMMANDER [West
African peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone] who died in the Sierra
Leone
civil disturbance [War]. My three daughters and I are trapped in
obnoxious
custom and traditional norms. We have suffered maltreatment and untold
hardship in the hands of my late husband's family, simply because I did
not bear a male child [heir apparent] for my late husband. By
tradition,
all that my late husband had!, [wealth] belongs to his brothers/family.
And myself is to be remarried by his immediate younger brother which I
vehemently refused.

They have taken all that I suffered with my husband to acquire
including
treasures, houses and his bank particular seized by them. I wanted to
escape to the United State of America [USA} with my children on exile,
but again they conspired and stole my international passport and other
traveling document to further frustrate me. Thank God, two weeks ago, I
received Key Text Code [KTC} from a security & Finance Company abroad,
that my late husband maintains a saftey deposit box of high value with
this company and i am the next of kin sotherefore i should make
necessary
arrangements to come for the claim of the box.It has therefore, become
very necessary and urgent to contact someone,a foreigner like you to
help
me receive/secure the consignment while we i and my children find a way
of getting out to meet with you in your country.

The consignment was kept on an "OPEN BENEFICIARY MANDATE" with the
Security Company to avoid detection, seizure or diversion. I have had
several telephone discussions with the Assistant Director of the
security
company, who has expressed willingness to help me on meeting the
company's demands. This is why I have contacted you to help save my
children and I, receive/secure the safety box on our behalf. But, you
would need to give me sufficient assurance that if you help me,you
would
not divert its contents which i will reveal to you as this is an
information known only to me and no one else.My children and I have
resolved to give you a certain percentage for your honest assistance to
us and i shall open up to you as i have to be careful for this is the
only way i and my children stand to live better lives. This is all my
children and I have got to live on.

Please! , I have reposed my confidence in you and hope you will not
disappoint me. I look forward to your urgent response, including your
private phone / mobile No and also your fax no for easier
communication.
NB: The secret codes (e.g Pin No., Secret Access Code) for the box are
safely kept with me which I will give you as soon as you express desire
to help me.


Stay blessed.

MRS.MARY KOBE.


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