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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: ben mataruse <benn_mat418@hotmail.fr>
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 20:58:10 +0100
Subject: Dear Beloved One In Christ,



Dear Beloved One In Christ,Good day, I know you will be surprised to read this mail from me, but please consider this letter as a genuine request from a family in need of your humble assistance. Firstly, I must introduce myself. I am Benjamin Mataruse. a Citizen of Zimbabwe, but I am contacting you from ABIDJAN CAPITAL CITY OF IVORY COAST presently called COTE D’IVOIRE where I am now sickening political asylum with my sister. My mother died here in cote d’ivoire after we have spent all the money that is with us to save her life in a private hospital here.I am the son of Late Mr. Peter Mataruse, a wealthy farmer and senior politician with the opposition political party in my country, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Our wicked President Robert Mugabe murdered my father, before I ran way from my country because I have become his next target to eliminate. My father was a fighter for Justice and a moving force in the MDC, a party wanting to end the several years of brutal Dictatorship government of President Robert Mugabe. You will read more stories about President Mugabe's brutal acts by visiting this web site: http://www.rte.ie/news/2000/0418/zimbabwe.html My father was accused of assisting the White farmers in fighting the government. Few weeks after his arrest, he was reported dead. The government claimed he died of heart attack and his body was never seen for proper autopsy, they buried him in the government cemetery. My father's associate Mr. Martin Olds a White farmer from Britain assisted me in fighting my father's death through the Court and media. The Government saw us as a big treath to them and decided to eliminate us. Mr. Olds was attacked and murdered in his House, but fortunately, before they came looking for me, I received the news and I left the country through the border to South Africa to save my life, Before my arrival here in Abidjan Cote D’ivoire.Here is my reason for contacting you. My father deposited a huge Sum of money in the total sum of US$15.5M [Fifteen million, Five hundred thousand United States Dollars] presently with a bank in ABIDJAN Cote D’ivoire, my father kept this money in a bank here in cote d'ivoire because of the situation in my Country. The government seized my father’s farms and banks account before his arrest and Murder. He told me everything concerning the funds while he was still in detention. This is why I need your assistance in securing the funds there in your Country, so that I can arrange on how to come over to your country for the investment of the fund.I am willing to offer you 25% of the US$15.5 Million For your assistance to provide an account where the funds will be transferred into, and the remaining 75% is for my family for the investment. Please, let me know if you can assist me, so that I can give you more details on how we shall proceed. As I wait for your urgent Response, please treat this information as top secret and very confidential. Please contact me back with your wilingnss to assist me and call me at +22509717735. Yours truly, Mr. Benjamin Mataruse.
_________________________________________________________________
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