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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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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Barbara Harrison <bar_harri1@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: bar-harri1@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 09:58:22 +0000
Subject: Re: Last Wish


Dear Friend,

My name is Barbara Harrison I have decided to WILL what I have to you, I am 67 years old and I was diagnosed for cancer a few years ago, immediately after the death of my late husband Gregory, Who had WILLED everything he worked for to me and now, All I have inherited from my late Husband I am willing half to you for the good work of God, rather than allow My relatives to use all my husband hard earned funds selfishly.

I will be going in for an operation today and I have included your name in my WILL for the sum of $5,500,000(five million five Hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of the lord, and also to help the less privilege.
I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to my health status. I have adjusted my WILL and my Executor is aware, you and he will arrange the transfer of the funds from my Bonded account to you.
Contact my Executor Robert Morgan with this specified email henssolicitors1@netscape.net with your full names contact telephone/fax number and your full address and tell him that I have WILLED ($5,500,000.00) to you that we have been friend for some years before now as I rightly introduced you to him

NB:I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until this task is accomplished, as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. I Don’t want my husbands relatives or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Regards,
Barbara Harrison.

Anti-fraud resources: