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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 about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: mike johnson <mikejohnsonn123@yahoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 2006 11:48:15 +0100 (CET)
Subject: From Mike Johnson


MIKE JOHNSON
RUE 25 MACCORY
ABIDJAN-COTE D'IVOIRE.
WEST AFRICA


Dear ,

My name is Mike Johnson from Sierra Leonian. I am 21 years old and a student. Please I would like you to assist me as urgent as you can,before they kill me.My father is a wealthy cocoa merchant.Trouble began early last year when my father's associates began suspecting that my father is not givingn prope accounts of all the tonnes of cocoa being cultivated by local farmersn in some villages.

This mistrust deepens between Oct-Sept, 2000 when they discovered avery large some of money my father deposited with a Bank here in ABIDJAN-COTE D'IVOIRE (FORMALLY IVORY COAST in West Africa. As a result of this discovery and the envy on the money he was poisioned by his associates.

At his hospital bed ,he revealed to me the reasons of his sickness and directed me where to get the documents of the said deposit which he made on my name as the next of kin, being the only child.He advised me that in case he die, that I should not stay in this country Sierre Leone because his associates will equally kill me hence my mother had died five years ago of breast cancer.


He also instructed that if he dies, I should look for a foreign partner who will help me to transfer the money out of this place (Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire), to his account and the person will help me to invest the money in that country. Based on this, I had to contact you bearing in mind that you will be humane enough to protect my life. My father finally died on the 5th of june,2003 and since then, I was out of school and went into hiding because of my father's associates. All the relevant documents of the $8.000,000.(Eight Million United States Dollars) that was deposited in a Commercial Bank by my late father, are with me now.

I will give you 15% of the total money, if you can help me transferring it into your Account, for onward investment in your country. Please contact me immediately with the above E-mail address and include your telephone and Fax numbers to enable me send you all necessar documents asregards the money before they kill me. It is a risk free transaction.

I'm waiting for your urgent reply.
Best regards.sincerely,
MIKE JOHNSON


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