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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: "Phemia George" <phem2ge@latinmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:45:28 +0100 (CET)
Subject: Thanks and God Bless You.


DEAR FRIEND,

HOW ARE YOU TODAY, I HOPE FINE, I AM ALSO FINE. IT IS MY GREAT INTERES=
T AND THE TRUST WHICH I HAVE ON YOU, THOUGH WE HAVE NOT MET BEFORE, NEI=
THER HAVE WE SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME, BUT BEFORE I PICK UP YOUR NAME AN=
D WRITE TO YOU I PRAYED OVER IT THAT GOD SHOULD DIRECT ME TO A TRUST WO=
RTHY AND GOD FEARING PERSON WHO WILL HELP ME OUT OVER MY PROBLEM. =20
=20
I AM MISS PHEMIA GEORGE THE ONLY DAUGTHER OF LATE MR AND MRS GEORGE MU=
STAFAH FROM IVORY-COAST. MY FATHER WAS A VERY WEALTHY COCOA MERCHANT I=
N MY COUNTRY IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSIN=
ESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSSION ON A BUSINESS TRIP.=
=20
=20
WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 2004, MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPEC=
IAL BECAUSE I AM MOTHERLESS. BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 30TH JUNE=
2006 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN ABIDJAN . HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON =
HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A SUM OF $10.500.000 (TEN MILLION, =
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS) DEPOSITED IN ONE OF THE BANKS HERE IN A=
BIDJAN, THAT HE USED MY NAME AS HIS ONLY DAUGTHER FOR THE NEXT OF KIN I=
N DEPOSIT OF THE FUND AT THE BANK.
=20
HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONE=
Y THAT HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES SUPPOSED TO BALANCE HIM FROM THE BUSINES=
S THEY HAD THAT HE WAS POISONED. AND HE WARNED ME TO BE CAREFUL AS THEY=
WILL BE LOOKING FOR ME TO KILL ME ALSO AS THEY DO NOT KNOW WHERE THE F=
UND IS,=20

HE ALSO TOLD THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR A GOD FEARING FOREIGN PARTNER IN A =
COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER THIS MONEY AND USE IT FOR IN=
VESTMENT PURPOSES. I AM A WOMAN THAT HAVE FEAR OF GOD IN ME. ..I AM ALL=
ALONE RIGTH NOW, AND I HAVE BEEN CHEATED AND BETRAY BY NATURE.
=20
DEAR, I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS .=20=

1) TO PROVIDE A BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO.=20=

2) TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND SINCE I AM A YOUNG GIRL OF 21 =
YEARS.
3) TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY AFTER THE MO=
NEY HAS BEEN TRANSFERSD. MOREOVER DEAREST, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 15=
% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR EFFORT INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFU=
L TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR DESIGNATE ACCOUNT OVERSEAS.=20
I ALSO ATTACHED ONE OF MY PICTURE.

ANTICIPATING TO HEAR FROM YOU, =20
THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU.
MISS PHEMIA GEORGE



La carrera hacia la Casa Blanca, a un click de distancia http://www.sta=
rmedia.com/noticias/especiales/gobiernousa.html

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