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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: "wamalwa yvonne" <yvonnewamalwa@mailbox.hu>
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 03:53:59 -0700
Subject: INTRODUCTION


From: Mrs. Yvonne Wamalwa
P.O.Box 2372 - 00200
Nairobi - Kenya
INTRODUCTION
I am Mrs. Yvonne Wamalwa the wife of late Michael Kijana Wamalwa, Former
Vice President of Kenya. I seek your assistance for the investment of USD
8,000,000.00 {Eight Million United States Dollar) which I inherited from my
late husband who died the 23rd of August 2003 at the Royal Free Hospital
London - United Kingdom Read More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3176177.stm The present Government of
Kenya has sized all my husbands property and frozen all his account both
national and International after his death, in the name of Recovering
Government Funds, which they said my husband Embezzled from the Government
of Kenya during his regime as the Vice President. During the one-year
remembrance of my Husband's Death, I was then allowed to go into his
Personal Bedroom as the Tradition of Our Community demands. I was going
through some files in His (My Husband) Bedroom when I came across this file
that stated a business transaction of Diamond and Gold, which my Husband had
with a company in South Africa worth USD 8,000,000.00{Eight Million, United
States Dollar). This fund is Presently Under the Custody of Finance Company
as Family Valuable Properties, fully documented under my name {YVONNE
WAMALWA}. I have to contact the Finance company with the help of our family
friend who is a lawyer in South Africa and the company has agreed to release
the fund to any place of my Choice. But my purpose of contacting you is that
I do not want this company to Send this fund to Kenya, based on the fact
that it will be confiscated by the Kenyan Government as they have taken all
that my husband left. The Kenyan Government is not aware of this fund and
was not aware of the business transaction. The fund is secure and has a
clean backup, with all depository documents. I want you to stand as Family
Partner to receive this fund into your account for investment purpose; I
wish to leave Kenya as soon as the fund comes into your account. I will
come over to meet you with my family to invest this money with you as my
business partner. We shall sign an investment agreement as soon as I meet
with you in your country. I will give you more details/next step as soon as
I get your favorable response; hope to read from you as soon as possible.

Regards
Mrs. Yvonne Wamalwa.

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