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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.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "JOHN WEARH" <john_wearh19@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: john_wearh009@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 11:36:41 +0000
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE PLEASE

DEAR

FIRST AND FOREMOST,I MUST SOLICIT YOUR STRICTEST
CONFIDENCE INTHIS TRANSACTION AND I PRAY THAT MY
DECISION TO CONTACT YOU WILL BE GIVEN GENUINE APPROVAL
CONSIDERING THE FACTS WE HAVE NOT KNOWN EACH OTHER BEFORE, I WISH TO
USE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE
MYSELF TO YOU.
I AM JOHN WEARH A 19 YEARS OLD BOY, FROM LIBERIA, WEST AFRICA. I
WRITE TO INFORM YOU MY DESIRE TO INVEST, AND TO BUY A
LIVING HOUSE IN YOUR COUNTRY.
I AM THE FIRST SON OF MR DAVID WEARH , MY FATHER WAS
A DIAMOND/GOLD MERCHANT IN MY COUNTRY.MY FATHER HAD A
BULLET SHOT BY THE REBELS ON HIS WAY TRAVELLING OUT OF
MY COUNTRY WITH TWO OF MY YOUNGER SISTER'S DUE TO
PRESENT CRISIS THAT IS OCCURING IN OUR COUNTRY
(LIBERIA).
MY SISTER'S DIED ON THE SPOT WHILE U.N PEACE MAKER,
KEEPING FORCE RESCUED MY FATHER,HE WAS TAKEN TO
HOSPITAL FOR MEDICAL. TREATMENT WHICH HE LATER DIED.
BEFORE HE DIED HE REAVEALED TO ME AND MY MOTHER ABOUT THE BOXES
CONTAINING:
250 KILO OF RAW GOLD AND
($27.5,MILLION US DOLLARS).
WHICH HE DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY IN GHANA FOR SAFE KEEPING
AND
UNWARD TRANSFER. MY FATHER DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY OF THE
CONTENT OF THE BOXES TO THE SECURITY COMPANY.
TO AVIOD THE OFFICIALS FROM RAISING EYE BROWS TO THE
FUNDS. PRESENTLY MY MOTHER AND MYSELF ARE HERE IN
GHANA TO NOTIFY THE SECURITY COMPANY FOR THE CLAIMS,
AND WE ARE STAYING IN THE REFUGEE CAMP.
THEREFORE I WANT YOU TO LECTURE ME ON HOW BEST WE CAN INVEST THIS
MONEY,
BECAUSE MY FATHER TOLD ME THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO INVEST THIS MONEY
IN
AFRICA TO AVIOD SUSPICIONS, AND DUE TO MARKET INSTABILITY COUPLED
WITH
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY FACING AFRICAN COUNTRIES, THAT IS
WHY WE
WANT TO INVEST IN ABROAD. FOR YOUR MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, MY MOTHER AND
MYSELF
HAVE AGREED TO OFFER YOU 25% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE MONEY.
WE HAVE ALL THE VITAL DOCUMENTS COVERING THE DEPOSIT
AND THEOWNERSHIP WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU THROUGH FAX
ON REQUEST.
NOTE:
I HAVE NEVER DISCLOSED THIS TO ANY PERSON APART
FROM YOU,SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP THIS TRANSACTION AS A TOP
SECRET TO YOURSELF ALONE.WHICH I WILL WANT YOU TO
FORWARD ACROSS TO ME YOUR DIRECTTEL/FAX NUMBER FOR
MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION.
I AM WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT AND POSITIVE FEEDBACK.
BEST REGARDS,
JOHN WEARH





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