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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: richard mcneil <rd.mneil7@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <rich.mcneil@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:37:12 +0100
Subject: Can I Confide in you!


Please Read!I am soliciting for business proposal tomake with you. I do seriously need your help because I amdisabled from a motor accident and cannot travelabroad on Doctor's orders.I was an Oil consultant based in the United Kingdom,and because I helped a lot of foreign Crude OilCompanies to get Crude Oil Lifting Rights andlucrative Oil Contracts from Nigeria, I was able toamass a fortune worth USD30million. On 12th January 2005, I left the UK finally with myfamily, and came back to Nigeria. But because of theunfavourable political and economic climate inmy country, and for security reasons, I left my moneytotal USD30million in a Security Safe Deposit Vault inLondon.On 2nd March 2006, I and my whole family was involvedin a very bad accident on our way home to our Villageat Benin, about 100 km from Lagos, Nigeria; I lost myentire family in the accident, and I myself fell into a coma since then?I eventually recovered from coma, and was dischargedfrom the hospital forthnight later. I have no money withwhich to sponsor any one in Nigeria to undertake thetrip for me; in any case , my extended family here abandoned me in hospital when they realized that themoney which I came back with had been spent onhospital bills; I am currently living on the charityof the church. And now, I need your help to collectthis money in London and invest it in a profitableventure abroad; I cannot bring in this money intoNigeria for fear of seizure by the Government. If themoney is properly and profitably invested abroad , Iintend to leave Nigeria permanently. Can I count on your help? If you agree to help me, Iwill send you by courier the ELECTRONIC CARD KEY of myvault so that you can travel to London and open thevault; You will then remove the money total USD30 million and transfer it to your Bank Account. For yourhelp and assistance, you will keep 30% of the moneyfor your self and keep 70% for me in safe custodyuntil I travel to meet you and invest my share?If you agree to help me, please reply giving me thefollowing information:1. Your Complete name and Street (POSTAL) address2. Your Phone and fax number, including mobile3. Your confidential email addressRegards,Richard Mcneil
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