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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: joseph dakotan <joseph_514_@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <joseph_15dakotan@yahoo.it>
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2007 13:08:28 +0100
Subject: From Joseph And Amanda Dakotan



>From Joseph And Amanda Dakotan24 Rue de marcony.Bouake Cote d'ivoire. Sir/Ma, This letter may come to you as a suprise based on the fact that I have not had any previous contact with you. Briefly, I am Joseph Dakotan the only son of late Chief.koffo Dakotan former director of Sierre Leone Gold and Diamond Corporation who was murdered by assailants believed to be working for his political enemies. Shortly before this unfortunate incident, my father had informed me about an important business deal he had executed with some of his colleagues in the office. He told me that he had diverted some money totaling fifteen million US dollars (US$15M) which they had realized from the sale of gold and diamonds in the black market. He showed me some lodgement documents with which he had deposited the money encased in a trunck box with a security /safe deposit company in Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire.He informed me in confidence that seciurity company did not know the exact contents of the box ; rather, he told them that it contained African art work that he had assembled for his overseas partner who would soon be coming to claim them for exportation. As a result of this explanation, the box was accepted for safe-keeping by the security company without inspection. When the political situation in Freetown, Sierre Leone worsened, I escaped into Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire with my only younger sister and had since contacted the security company, identified myself properly and informed them about the sad fate my father had suffered. I presented the lodgement documents and they confirmed that they have the trunk box in their vault. So I informed them that I intend initiating contacts with my fathers overseas partner who owns the consignment so that he can come and take delivery of it. My decision to retrive this box, transfer the money and start a new life forms the basis of this enquiry from you. Now my 16-years-old sister and myself are alone in this strange country suffering without any care or help. without any relation, we are now like refugees and orphans. Our only hope now is in this fund our father deposited in the Security company to this effect, I humbly solicit your assistance in the followings ways,to assist me claim this fund from the Security Company as my father's business parthner abroad and co-beneficiary, to retrieve this money from the Security Company in your name and trasfer it to your country, to make a good arrangement for a joint business investment on our behalf in your country and you as the caretaker,to secure a college for my little sister and my self in your country to further our education and to make arrangement for our travel with you to your country after you have transferred this fund. If you can assist me on these points above, I shall give you 10% of the total money while setting aside 5% for all incidental expenses that may arise in the course of actualising the transaction (such expenses as phone calls fax messages ) Please i need to inform you that this matter is confidential, I want you to treat it as such please.Best regards,Joseph & Sister
_________________________________________________________________
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