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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: "hana safia" <safiahana14@livedoor.com>
Reply-To: safiahana1@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:15:19 +0200
Subject: My Beloved in Allah


My Beloved in Allah,


I am Mrs.Safia Hana am 51 years old from Botswana, I am deaf and suffering
from a long time cancer of the Lungs which also affected my brain, from all
indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious
that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I live for the next
two months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage.

I was brought up from motherless babies home, was married to my late husband
for twenty years without a child. My husband died in a fatal motor accident.
Before his death we were true Muslim. Since his death I decided not to
re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of
$18.5million dollars with a Security Company.

Presently, this money is still with them and the management just wrote me as
the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long
or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my
behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it
confisticated. Presently, I?m with my laptop in a hospital where I have been
under going treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability
to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of
your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization, the
poor and the motherless babies home where I come from. I want you God
fearing, to also use this money to fund orphanages and widows. I took this
decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security
Company. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will improve you
as the new beneficiary of my fund.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated here.

I shall wait at your prayerful reply.on my private
Email:safiahana1@yahoo.com <Email%3Asafiahana1@yahoo.com>
Yours in His Service,

Mrs.Safia Hana.

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