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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: "Miss Mary Anna" <mary_anna206@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: m_anna208@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2007 03:33:18 +0100
Subject: ASSISTANCE HELPS URGENTLY NEEDED

Hello Dear Sir /Madam,

How do you doing, so how is life over there in your country? I hope that you are in atmosphere of peace and love? please do not be surprised or get offended for receiving this message from me, It just that I have been obliged to lay a mere trust on you due to my situation here in the refugees camp. I strongly believe in my heart that you must be honest and sincere person for me to disclose my life secrets so that you will render your full help and assistance towards me.

Let me first of all introduce myself to you, and I will require the best of your honesty after you knowing about me and whom that I am, because I will really like us to have a good relationship in-spite of anything because I have this feeling that you must be honest, trusted person and you will not betray me.
I decided to contact you because of the urgency of my situation here in the refugee camp I whole-heatedly decided to let you know more and more about me, Who knows? Maybe you will be my savior, from this conditions that I have found myself. My name is Miss Mary Williams, am 21yrs old from Liberia my country of origin , I am the only daughter of Late Dr. Ferdinand Williams. The Manager and Chief Executive of (De Blessed Alofa Industries Ltd) in Monrovia, the capital city of my country,some years ago, My late father is a rich business man in my country, in anything pertaining to gold and diamonds, but he was killed by the rebels and the greedy fellows in my country during the war, on his way down to the village with my two younger brothers.

Therefore I am constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment I am receiving from my step mother. She planned to take away all my late father's treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Father. Meanwhile I wanted to escape from Africa to any where in the world but she hides away my international passport and other traveling documents. Luckily she did not discover where I kept my father's File which contains important documents. So I decided to run to the refugee's camp where I am presently seeking asylum under the Private charity organization for the Refugee here in Republic of Senegal.

I wish to contact you personally for a long term relationship that may lead us to somewhere better if we work well on it. Here is the telephone number in the office the of refugees camp, (+), please anytime you called just tell them that you want to speak with me so that they will send for me at the women hostels to come and answer your call. In this refugee camp we have about 3 different hostels, we have one for men, for women and for little children's, all are victims of wars circumstances from all over Africa, honestly Life here in the refugee camp is very lonely but I prays to move out from here as soon as you help me, I have prayed over and over before deciding to disclose all about me to you because I do not know you very well, but my conditions here has made me to speak out or I keep it and die in silence, that is exactly what I am trying to do before I waste my precious life here for nothing.

My late father of blessed memory deposited the sum of amounts (Nine Million Seven Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in a Bank Senegal with my name as the next of kin. However, I shall forward you with the necessary documents on confirmation of your acceptance to assist me for the transfer of the money to your bank accounts on my behalf, because I want you to help me in an investment with the money and I will like to complete my studies in your country, because I was in 1st year in the university in my country when the crisis started so we have to move out from Liberia to other neighboring countries to avoid brutal attacks from the rebels. After the transfer you will arrange for my trip joining you over there for us to share these feelings face to face. I have tried all my possible best to explain my present conditions here to the bank in Senegal but they told me that my status here in Senegal as a refugee does not permit me to such transactions, unless I will look for someone to help me,(might be my relatives, trusted friends or partners).
Frankly speaking, I prefer disclosing my secrets to a stranger because he/she will not have a mind to cheat me or betray me, and I know that you people in the advanced world have full knowledge, understanding and also God fearing, not to be compared with people here, I am very careful about my life that is why I cannot be able to let anybody here know about my fathers wealth or to assist me, because they might kill me or find a way to betray me, that is why I am placing my sincere trust on you by disclosing everything with all my hearts, because I believes in my hearts that you will keep this confidential for my safety reasons here, I sincerely want to let you know that we will invest the money together, or if you don't intend staying with me then It will be my pleasure to compensate you with 15% of the total money for your efforts and services, then the rest balance shall be my investment capital. This is the reason why I decided to contact you, please all communications should be through this email address only for confidential reasons.

As soon as I received your positive response showing your interest to help me, I will put things into action immediately. I will give you the contacts of the bank in Senegal so that you will contact them immediately for them to transfer the money to your bank accounts on my behalf, please this is a legitimate money and the bank is also aware that I am the next of kin to the accounts because I have send to them the documents which I collected from my fathers file, the deposit certificate and the will of my father which bears my name as the next of kin and they have also confirmed it and advise me that I should look for someone to help me facilitate these transfer, since I am still in the refugee camp. In the light of the above, I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this relationship and transaction sincerely, because I am too young to handle it and also considering my status here as a refugee.
I'm waiting for your urgent and positive reply, please do keep this informations only to your self because is all about my life, my future and my everything. I am on my kneels in the name of God, do not disclose this secrets to anybody till I come over to your country, after the money has been transferred successfully to your bank accounts on my behalf. Meanwhile I want you to call me like I said because I have a lots tell you.This is my contact email address to me directly m_anna208@yahoo.com
,i need your full standing pictures and information details , Have a blessed day.
Love from
mary


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