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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: =?iso-8859-1?q?mmrs=20karen=20maxson?= <kmaxoffice@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sat, 13 May 2006 22:18:00 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: HELP!!!


J'ai une nouvelle adresse mailVous pouvez maintenant m'écrire à : kmaxoffice@yahoo.fr

Dear Friend,

I presume that we have not met neither have we communicated before. Firstly, my name is Mrs. KAREN MAXSON. I am the wife of late SMITH MAXSON. My late husband SMITH MAXSON who was a business tycoon based in Cape Verde Republic was also a staff of Hills Oil Merchant, died last month at the age of 46 after a brief illness at Merits Hospital there in Cape Verde.

Could you believe that the tradition and customs of the town and state where my late husband came from demands that any woman who does not have a male child for the husband, that when ever the husband dies, all the properties belonging to the late husband including cash will be shared among the late husband brothers and the woman will be sent out of her husband's house.


My dear, this is exactly what I am going through right now since last month my husband died. My late husband brothers has taken all the properties belonging to my late husband including bank accounts and as well sent me and my little daughters out of my husband's house just because I do not have a male child for my late husband. This is a wicked tradition and culture that has no moral value. As am talking to you now, I and my two daughters are going through hell at the moment. Right now, I am having in my position all the vital documents relating to the sum of USD9.6M (Nine Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars Only) which my late husband deposited with a bank oversea with my name as the next of kin before his death. Last week I contacted the manager of our bank and I was told that the money is very much intact, that I can as well come for it any time I feel like.

Please remember that I cannot make use of this fund here due to forces surrounding me at the moment. Please have mercy on the poor widow like me and help me out of this mess. All I want you to do for me is to assist me transfer this fund into your account immediately before my late husband brothers will have knowledge of it and claim it just like the way they did to others.

I strongly believe that the only way I can secure this money for myself is to act fast now and transfer this money overseas, which is the main reason why I am contacting you for your assistance. Please note that, as soon as this fund is transferred into your account, you will stand the chance to have 25% percent of the total fund while 75% percent will remain for me so that I can be able to take care of my two kids my late husband left behind for me. Remember that my children are the only happiness I have here on earth and I cannot stand to watch them go through such pains.

I look forward to hearing from you immediately so that I can direct you what next to do for us to commence the transfer immediately.

I will also like some money to go to the poor people who has no means to eat.Please make sure that you direct your reply to (karen_max101@yahoo.com ) This is for security reasons.

Sincerely,



- mmrs karen maxson


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