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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: hf03 _gaza <hf03_gaza@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 26 May 2007 12:07:24 +0100 (BST)
Subject: FROM HELEN ,PLEASE HELP US.


Dearest one,
It's my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I and my brother, intend to establish in your country. Do you believe in inherritance? Though I have not meet with you before but I believe,one has to risk confiding in someone to succeed sometimes in life. I am Helen Famala, The first daugther of late Mr and Mrs Edward Dan Famala of Ivory Coast and my family comes from the royal lineage.

There is this huge amount of ($8,000,000.00) which my late Father kept for us in a security company here in Abidjan before he was poisoned. My mother died on the 21 october 1994 , and my father took me and my brother David so special because we were motherless. Before the death of my father on the 22th April 2002 in a private hospital here in Abidjan. Now me and my Brother decided to invest these money in your country for security and political reasons.We want you to help us to claim this consignment that contains this fund to your country for investment purposes on the followings below:

1). Telecommunication
2). Automobile manufacturing
3). Five star hotel
4) Provision of part of the money for endowment for the less priviledged ones.

If you can be of an assistance to us we will be pleased to offer to you 5% of the total fund because, to me this money is too big and much for me to handle.

I await your soonest response.
Extend my warmest regards to your entire family.

Thank you and God bless you.
Sincerely,
Helen Famala


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