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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: MARIA DEL CARMEN STEVENS <maria.stevens@virgilio.it>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 09:09:17 +0200
Subject: Your Concent

Greetings,

I present my excuses in any way my message could have come as an offence to you since you are not
aware of it. I am Maria Del Carmen
Stevens a Swedish; my meeting with Mr. David Yendall Stevens in South Africa led us into marriage. My
husband Mr. David Stevens who is
now late was a farmer and exporter of Tobacco in the Republic Of Zimbabwe, he was shot dead
allegedly by the ZANU-PF
supporters in Zimbabwe on the 26th of April 2000 in his farm.

You can confirm this by copying and pasting this link on your Internet browser or clicking on it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/725643.stm

The Zimbabwean government under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe announced a decree
on May 31st 2000 to seize more than
849 white-owned farms. During these periods, as reported by world news media and the CNN, more than
50 white farmers were killed. The
government did not stop at this, as just recently the government has asked all white-farmers to give up
their farms to black farmers or risk
going to prison. So far, more than 1,400 white owned farms have been invaded and confiscated, as well
as claiming the properties of the farmers.
Also, about 133 white farmers were arrested for defying the orders to leave their farms under the
controversial land reform program of the government, among those arrested was my Late Husband who
later died in the hands of the prison officials, during my last visit to the prison he had informed me that he
had huge amount of money (One Hundred And Fifty Five Million American Dollars) that he saved in safe
boxes and had lodged them with a Security Company in South Africa.

He also said that the company does not know the contents in the safe boxes. He used my name to
Deposit the money being his wife, he had advised me to leave the country since it was no longer safe for
us being whites, he also advised that should he be killed that I should seek a foreign partner in a country
of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purposes, Your assistance is
therefore required in the following ways:

(1) To assist me to clear this fund from it's present location to any location of your choice.

(2) To serve as the guardian of this fund due to my lack of knowledge in the business sector.

I am willing to offer you some percentage of the total sum as compensation for your effort and input, I
believe that this transaction could be concluded within 14 days from the day you signify interest to assist
me, I await to hear from you as soon as possible in my email address: maria1stevens@netscape.net

Thanks and God bless you for your anticipated cooperation.

MARIA DEL CARMEN STEVENS.

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