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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: "Benson Odi" <bensonodi_2000@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 13:57:27 +0000
Subject: FROM BENSON AND GRACE ODI

FROM BENSON AND GRACE ODI
C/o KING OF KING EVANGELICAL
CHURCH MINISTRY,
363 SPRINGFIELD ROAD CHELMSFORD,
ESSEX,CM26AW LONDON UK.

KINDLY REPLY US TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS:odifamily@correctionsmail.com

Our name is Benson and Grace Odi we are the children of Late General Anderson Odi the former Director of military intelligence and special acting General Manager of the Sierra Leone Diamond mining cooperation(
SLDMC). I am contacting you to seek your good assistance to transfer and invest 5 million pounds belonging to my late father which is deposited in a bank in London UK. This money is revenues from solid minerals and diamonds sale which were under my fathers possession before the civil war broke out.

Following the break out of the war, almost all government offices, operations and prostates were attacked and vandalized. The SLDMC was looted and burnt down to ashes, and diamonds worth millions of dollars was stolen by the rebel military forces who attacked my fathers office.

Many top government officials and senior army officers were assassinated and my father was a key target because of his very sensitive military position and appointment in the SLDMC. Regrettably, my father was captured and murdered along with half brother in cool blood during a mid-night rebel shoot-out when our official residence in Freetown was ambushed by Fordey Sanko the notorious rebel leader.

My mother sustained very sever bullet injuries which resulted to her untimely and painful death in a private hospital here in London UK.

Now we are alone in a totally strange country without parents, relatives or any body to care for us at our tender ages.

Before our mother died, she told us that our father deposited some money which he made from diamond sales and contracts at this bank here in London UK and that we should pray and find a trustworthy foreign business partner who would help us to transfer and invest this money in profitable business venture overseas.

She told us to do this quickly so that we can leave London with our cousin brother-Arthur who is here in the camp with us and, then settle down abroad. She gave us the bank document to prove the deposit and then told us that my father used my name as the only son to deposit the money in the bank. She told us that this is the reason why we came to London. My mother died afterwards. May her spirit rest in perfect peace I have gone to the bank to make inquires about this money and I spoke with the Manager of International remittance who assured me that everything is intact and promised to help me transfer this money to my foreign partners bank account as soon as we are ready and I provide my partners foreign bank account for them.

But the manager is very concerned because of my age. I am 20 years and as such advised that I should look for a matured person that will represent me at the bank.

If you are willing to assist us, please let us know immediately so that you will arrange the transfer of the money to your account with the bank. Please note that I can only offer you 20% of the total money as compensation for your noble assistance in accordance with my mothers advise. I am interested in any profitable commercial venture which you consider very good in your country and you would also get a school for me, my little sister and cousin so that we can finish our college education. I am hoping to hear your urgent response so that I can not look for another foreign partner.

Thank you and may God bless you and your dear family.

KINDLY REPLY US TO THIS EMAIL ADDRESS: odifamily@correctionsmail.com


Yours sincerely.

Benson and  Grace Odi

 

 

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