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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: "Mrs Sonia Kone," <sonia_kone01@fastermail.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2006 18:05:33 +0000
Subject: From Mrs Sonia Kone,

Hello,

I am Mrs Sonia Kone from Sierra-Leone, widow to the late former minister of finance in Sierra-Leone who died on 15th of May 2002. I inherited a total sum of $21.5 Million American dollars from my late husband, the money was concealed in a metallic trunk box and was deposited with a security and finance company in Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire, that was because I needed a maximum security/safety of my consignment and no body nor government organization can trace the where about of the money until I am ready and prepare to claim it. but the Secuerity company didn't know the real content of the box, because it was deposited as a family valuables.

My main purpose of sending you this mail is because of the way I found you and perhaps trustworthy to give you this priority of shipping the box of money to any address that you think is very secure and save in your country for onward lodgement your account for the purpose of future investment with y! our percentage of which we shall chat on soon.

I will send you the Authorization Certificate to call them in my next mail which is the Certificate of deposit that they gave me on the very day when the box of money was deposited under their company.

I give thanks immensely for your co-operation as I look forward to hear from you soonest to this for quick conclusion of this business.

All the best,
Mrs Sonia Kone.



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