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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: Philomina Odili <philoci3@yahoo.com.au>
Reply-To: philominaodili@yahoo.com.au
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:36:34 +1000 (EST)
Subject: Re..Philomina Odili


From Philomina Odili
Daloua Temporary
Refuge Camp
Republic Cote d'Ivoire

Dearestone:

You may no doubt be surprise to receive this mail more especially as we have never had any formal acquaintance in the past, However, I will like to give you some thought to the salient issues raised in this mail.

I am Miss Philomina Odili, 20yrs old from the war ravaged Sierra-Leone but presently resident in Abidjan, Côte D’ Ivoire with my younger brother James who is 18yrs old. My father, Mr Benard Odili who before his assassination by the rebel troupes was the director general of the Sierra-Leone Mining corporation(SLMC). He was killed in our residence along side my elder brother and our security guard. Fortunately, our mother, James and i were away the country side at the time of the incident.

Before my father’s death, he made a deposit of $18.5million United
States dollars in a security and trust company in Abidjan Côte D’Ivoire, this was proceeds of an over invoiced diamond sales to a foreign company with whose assistance this deposit was made.

As at the time of deposit, the real content of the box containing this money was not made known to the security company as they were declared as family treasure.

Owning to the continuous harassment and intimidation of families of politicians who served in the government of the former Military president, major Johnny Paul Koromah we decided to flee the country.

Among our father’s personal effects gathered as we were packing from the official resident was a certificate of deposit in his name issue by the security and trust company in Côte D’Ivoire, we have since located this company and established ownership of the consignment.

As a fall out of the events in our country, Sierra-Leone , we did apply for and have beengranted asylum by the government of Côte D’Ivoire sadly, two months after arriving here, our mother died from the what the doctor described as cardiac arrest leaving James and I. James has since dropped out of school as the circumstances of the death of our parents continuous to haunt us.

It is in this light that I write to seek your assistance in order to retrieve the funds from the security company and transfer same to your country, using your account as receiving account while James and I will regularise to finally leave for your country when the funds entered to seek permanent residence.


Part of this money will be used to purchase a home for us while a better part will be invested in profit yielding ventures in your country with your guidance.

Should you decide to assist, an amount equal to 20% of the funds will be paid to you as commission while 5% will be set aside for expenses to be incurred by you and I in this transaction.

Best regards.

Miss Philomina and James


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