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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: "Dr. Alcantaro" <alcantaro217@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <dr.r.alcantaro@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:05:43 +0000
Subject: Hello




Dr. Richard Alcantaro H.O.D.Clinical Pharmacology,Ahmadu Bello University of Zaria,Nigeria I am Dr. Richard Alcantaro, the Head of Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Director of research, at the Ahmadu Bello University of Zaria Teaching Hospital Zaria, Nigeria. I write to solicit your assistance in a project of mutual benefit. We got your contact over the Internet. In February 1999, a research grant (US$30.5Million) was given to the my department with I leading a team of other clinical pharmacologist, by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to conduct a research on the effect of a "local plant extract" on Sickle Cell Disease in Nigeria. The research has since been concluded (specifically in August 2002). Of the total amount given to us for the research purposes we only expended US$8.5Million leaving a balance of US$22 Million. We are contacting you with a view to transferring this balance out to your account for our own use. We have put in over 25 years of our lives into working for the government and as academics we do NOT have anything to show for it, hence this opportunity we see as a God-Sent one. We sincerely hope that you will be of assistance to us. I implore you to treat this mail as confidentially as possible as we are still active academicians, though retiring in the first quarter of next year. If you are not in a position to assist us, do not respond to this mail and we apologize for taking your time. Yours faithfully.Dr. Richard Alcantaro
_________________________________________________________________
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