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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: mohammed gerage <mohammedgerage@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 07:00:49 -0800 (PST)
Subject: your assistance is needed


DEAR. SIR,

THIS MESSEGE MIGHT MEET YOU IN UTMUOS SURPRISE,BUT HOW EVER MY NAME IS MOHAMMED GERAGE I AM 23 YEARS OLD .I AM THE ELDEST SON OF LATE CHIEF FODAY GERAGE OF TUNGO DISTRICT, SIERRA LEONE.I GOT YOUR CONTACT FROM A REPORTER THAT WORKS WITH THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY WHO RECOMMENDED YOU AS A MAN OF GOOD INTEGRITY AND REPUTATION AND A MAN THAT CAN BE TRUSTED, BUT IT IS LEFT FOR YOU TO BE ORIGINAL AND TRUSTWORTHY SOMEONE.
I WANT YOU TO TAKE THIS ISSUE AS A SERIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.THIS IS MY LIFE AND MY BRIGHTER FUTURE, WITHOUT THIS I AM NOBODY,

I HAVE BEEN KEEPING THIS ISSUE FOR THE PAST 1YEARS ,BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW WHO TO WORK THIS WITH.YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BESIDES,NOW I WANT TO FINALLY MOVE AWAY FROM AFRICA TO START A NEW LIFE OVER THERE,

BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE FAMILY AND RELATIVES. THE WAR SPLIT EVERYBODY.MAY BE SOME OF THEM ARE STILL ALIVE WHICH I DON'T KNOW.OUR MIGHTY HOUSE AND THE PROPERTIES ARE NO MORE.MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND MY LITTLE SISTER DIED DURING THE WAR .PLEASE,I WHAN YOU TO TREAT THIS ISSUE WHICH I AM ABOUT TO DISCLOSE TO YOU AS A CONFIDENTIAL ONCE AGAIN.MY FATHER,LATE CHIEF FODAY GERAGE,POPULARLY KNOWN AS IN OUR COUNTRY AS GIPU, HE WAS THE INDEPENDENT DIAMOND MARKETER IN KONO DISTRICT, SIERRALEONE.

UNFORTUNATETELY FOR US,HE WAS AMONG THE TWELVE PROMINENT CITIZENS EXECUTED BY OUR PRESIDENT AHMED TEJAN KABBAH.MY FATHER, ALONG SIDE THE ELEVENTH PROMINENT CITIZEN[BOTH CIVILIAN AND MILITARY]WHERE ACCUSED OF SUPPORTING AND SPONSORING THE FORMAL DICTATOR,MAJOR.PAUL JOHNNY KOROMAH TO OVERTHROW THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN 1991 BEFORE THE WAR FINALLY BROKE OUT.
THEY WHERE EXECUTED IN 2003 BEFORE THERE ARREST,MY LATE FATHER HAS ALREADY HANDED OVER SOME DOCUMENTS TO MY MOTHER ,WHICH REVEALS THAT,HE HAS DEPOSITED TWO SEALED BOXES,ONE CONTAINING(249kg)OF DIAMOND AND ANOTHER ONE CONTAINING A CASH(19million)u.s dollars, WAS DEPOSITED IN THE SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ACCRA THE CAPITAL STATE OF WEST AFRICAN GHANA, WHICH CONTAINED ABOUT NINETEEN MILLION US DOLLARS , OF WHICH MY NAME IS THE NEXT OF KIN.MY LATE FATHER STATED THAT,HE REGISTERED THE BOTH BOXES AS CONTAINING PRECIOUS ITEMS AS AT THE TIME OF DEPOSIT IN ORDER NOT TO RAISE QUESTIONS.

THE OFFICERS OF THE LOCAL SECURITY COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW THAT ONE OF THE BOXES ACTUALLY CONTAINS CASH.RIGHT NOW, MYSELF IN BUDUBURAM REFUGEES CAMP, HERE IN GHANA, WHERE I FLEE TO BECAUSE OF THE WAR IN OUR COUNTRY.
I WANT YOU TO HELP TO ASSIST ME FACILITATES THE REMOVAL OF THE DEPOSITED BOXES FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY AND DEPOSIT HOUSE, AND LATER ASSIST ME TO BUY HOUSE IN YOUR COUNTRY, AND INVEST THE REST FOR US IN ANY BUSINESS SINCE WE DO NOT WANT TO RE-SETTLED IN AFRICA DUE TO THE INSTRUSTION MY LATE FATHER GAVE TO ME, THAT PEOPLE NOT TO SET THIER EYES ON OUR FAMILY.IF I HAVE YOUR CO-OPERATION,I HAVE AGREED WITH MY LAWYER THAT WE WILL GIVE YOU 20% OF ALL THE MONEY AND 10%FOR THE EXPENCESES,AND WE WILL SEE THAT YOU ARE GENEROUSLY COMPENSATED.

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR INTEREST BY REPLYING TO ME ON THIS MAIL.SO THAT I CAN PREPARE THE NECESSARY AGREEMENT.

YOUR'S FAITH FULLY.
MOHAMMED GERAGE

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