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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: "mary erica" <mary_erica01@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mary_erica101@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:32:39 +0200
Subject: INVESTMENT

Hello,

My name is mary Erica I am a young lady from Liberia, presently in Senegal as an asylum sicker. I went through your profile and it atracted me to share this business upportunity with you hoping that you will not disapoint me at the end.
am only asking for your help to stand as my late fathers foreign business partner to make claims to my inherited money usd$2.5m that was deposited by my late father which is right now in a banking firm waiting for me to claim, but for the simple fact that the financial local law of this country Senegal does not permit my statues as to handle such transaction. I will give you more details if you reply me with interest. please do communicate me with my private email (mary_erica101@yahoo.com) Please all communications should be through this email address only, for confidential purposes.
I promise 15% of the total money will be given to you, if you can help us.
Thanks,mary erica




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