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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: GRACE JOHNSON <graceson03@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: grace_jons@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:22:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: I NEED YOUR SINCERETY


Dear Friends,

Good day to you and your family.
I am contacting you about a need I have and I believe you are well able
to help me. It all depends on our trusting each other but I've chosen to
contact you prayerfully and believe you are the person to help me.

I am Grace Johnson,29yrs old woman from Ghana. I became a widow
18 months ago. The source of my husband's death was believed to be from
our detractors who are never happy he was making so much progress.
The issue is that my husband sold a piece of land he inherited from his late father.
He made so much fortune from the sales because mineral deposit (gold) was
found to be on the land. He deposited the money(about $8.2M USD) in
A Keeping Company here in Accra Ghana. He was later afflicted with an
unexplainable disease which kept him incapacitated for two years.
Money could not help him out as he died 18 months ago with the ailment.
After his death, his family was on me to tell them where the money was
lodged as they have taken over all of his belongings. They have also
emptied his bank accounts with other banks and discovered the money was not
lodged there. My husband warned me not to disclose the money to his family
before he died in the hospital. The family has left me and my son with
nothing. I now fend for myself and Micheal my only son.

My plans are to relocate from Ghana, but I will need to move out the
money left by my husband. Any attempt for me to try and move it in my name
will cause me more problems than I can imagine as an African woman. Once I
move the money out, I'll come to your country where I will invest the money
under your guide.

The main reason of contacting you is to solicit your help in coming
forward as my husband's foreign business partner. I will get all
necessary documents to help us move the fund to you which will enable me to come
over and get the money shared between us 60% for me 10% for the lawyer who is going
to help in legal processes and 30% for you for helping out.

Please NOTE that the earlier you help me the better as you will be
doing God a great favor because my life is no more save with these people here.
I will need your reply stating your readiness to help in seeing this deal through.
Please give me your phone number so that I can call you to discuss it further.

I wait for your favorable reply

Thanks and be bless.

Mrs.Grace Johnson.


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