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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: "mary okoto" <mary_okoto001@latinmail.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:01:24 +0100 (CET)
Subject: FROM MISS MARY OKOTO


FROM MISS MARY OKOTO

DEAREST ONE,

I AM MISS MARY OKOTO FROM IVORY COAST AND I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE I=
NEED YOUR HELP IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A SUM OF MONEY THAT MY LATE FATHER=
LEFT FOR ME BEFORE HE DIED.THIS MONEY IS USD 10.5 MILLION AMERICAN DOL=
LARS AND THE MONEY IS IN A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN WHERE MY LA=
TE FATHER DEPOSITED IT IN CONSIGNMENT FORM WITH THEM AND USE MY NAME AS=
NEXT OF KIN.=20

MY FATHER WAS A VERY RICH COCOA FARMER AND HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSIN=
ESS COLLEAGUES AND NOW I WANT YOU TO STAND AS MY GUIDIAN AND APPOINTED =
BENEFICIARY TO RECEIVE THE MONEY IN YOUR COUNTRY SINCE I AM ONLY 21 YEA=
RS AND WITHOUT MOTHER AND FATHER.=20

PLEASE I WILL LIKE YOU TO REPLY TO THIS EMAIL SO THAT I WILL TELL YOU A=
LL THE INFORMATION SO THAT MY INHERITANCE CONSIGNMENT WILL BE DELIVER T=
O YOU BY THE SECURITY COMPANY WHERE IT WAS IN THEIR CUSTODY.FOR YOU HEL=
P ME GET MY PAPERS TO TRAVEL TO YOUR COUNTRY TO CONTINUE MY EDUCATION T=
HERE WHILE YOU HELP ME INVEST MY MONEY UNTIL I FINISH MY EDUCATION.I AM=
WAITING FOR YOUR URGENT REPLY AND I WILL CALL YOU AS SOON AS I HEAR FR=
OM YOU.=20

THANKS.=20

MISS MARY OKOTO.

Las mLas m=E1s bellas del planeta, en Miss Mundo 2007 http://www.starme=
dia.com/entretenimiento/especiales/misses.html

Anti-fraud resources: