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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "Green Watt" <greenwatt2020@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: greenwatt@o2.pl
Date: Fri, 09 Dec 2005 14:31:16 +0100
Subject: LET US HELP THE NEEDY

Send reply to :greenwatt@o2.pl


DEAR FRIEND,

MY NAME IS GREEN WATT AND I WAS BORN ON THE 1ST OF OCTOBER
1950,THAT MAKES ME 55 YEARS THIS YEAR.

I WAS NOT BORN WITH THE PROVERBIAL SILVER SPOON.AND YEARS OF
POVERTY AND HUNGER PROVIDED ME A PLATFORM TO STRIVE TO SUCCEED IN
LIFE AND THIS I MUST CONFESS I DID,ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.IN DOING
SO I PROMISED MY SELF TO NEVER SHOW LOVE OR MERCY TO ANYONE,AND
THIS I DID WITH HATRED IN MY HEART AND NO LOVE.

OVER THE YEARS,I MADE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY AS MUCH ESTATES AS
POSSIBLE OF MY CHOICE,I NEVER MARRIED,BUT HAD CHIDREN TWO BOYS WHOM
I JUST HAD TO TOLERATE FOR I WAS TOLD THEY HAD MY BLOOD FLOWING IN
THEIR VEINS.I CAN NOT REMEMBER EVER FEELING LOVE FOR THEM.AND THIS
ATTTUDE I ALSO SHOWED TO ANYONE FOR I BELIEVED THAT THEY JUST WANT
TO BE WITH ME FOR THE MONEY.AND I ALWAYS ASKED MY SELF WHERE THEY
WERE WHEN I WAS HUNGRY AND CRYING AS A CHILD.I SWORE NEVER TO SHOW
LOVE TO ANY ONE.


ONE YEAR AGO I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND WITH ALL MY WEALTH AND
POWER,NOTHING AND NO ONE CAN SAVE ME.WHEN I WAS TOLD OF MY
ILLNESS,A SUDDEN CALM TOOK OVER ME AND I FOUND MYSELF FULL OF TEARS
AND REGRET FOR MY LIFE FLASHED BEFORE ME,LIVING ME PERPLEXED. AND
THERE AND THEN I RESOLVED TO MAKE AMENDS FOR ALL THE PAIN I CAUSED
EVERYONE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.

SO I DECIDED TO SET UP A TRUST FUND FOR THE NEEDIES.AND I MADE MY
SONS THE SIGNATORY TO THE ACCOUNT,LEAVING THEM WITH THE
RESPONSIBILTY OF DISBURSING FUNDS TO ORGANISATIONS OF MY CHOICE.NOW
I HAVE RELIABLE INFORMATION THAT MY WISH HAS NOT BEEN CARRIED OUT
AS I INSTRUCTED.FOR MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD,HAVE CONSPIRED TO STEAL
WHAT I ASKED THEM TO GIVE TO THE NEEDY.

NOW I HAVE DECIDED THAT I WILL GET SOMEONE THAT CAN HELP ME
DISBURSE THE FUNDS WORTH US$15 MILLION AMERICAN DOLLARS IN A TRUNK
BOX IN A SECURITY COMPANY IN EUROPE HONESTLY THIS IS WHAT WAS LEFT
FOR ME ALL OF THE MONEY I MADE, VERY UNBELIEVABLE AND SHOCKINH .
THIS FUNDS WILL BE GIVEN TO CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS OF MY CHOICE.
I WANT TO STATE HERE THAT THIS PERSON WILL RECEIVE 30% OF US$15
MILLION FROM ME .AS MY ILLNESS GRADUALLY EATS DEEP IN ME,I NEED
SOMEONE THAT WILL BE MY EYES.ALL ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE WHEN U
GET IN TOUCH WITH ME,YOU WILL RECEIVE INSTUCTIONS ON WHAT TO
DO.THIS IS A CRY FOR HELP AND I NEED A HAND TO EASE THE PAIN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.PLEASE IF YOUR INTERESTED PLEASE YOU CAN
CONTACT ME URGENTLY THROUGH ABOVE E MAIL ADDRESS.

LET US JOIN HANDS AND HELP THE NEEDIES AND LESS PRIVILEDGED IN THE
SOCIETY,THIS IS VERY LEGITIMATE , NO RISK IS INVOLVED AT ALL. AS
SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU, I WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO MY LAWYER WHO WILL
HELP TO FASCILITATE THIS TRANSACTION. OR YOU SEND IT TO MY
ALTERNATIVE E MAIL ADDRESS THUS: greenwatt@o2.pl

GREEN WATT


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