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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: "Fultz, Emily D" <edfultz@bsu.edu>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:49:41 -0400
Subject: CAN YOU BE TRUSTED?

Dear Friend,
I write you after proper consideration that a telephone conversation may
not be an ideal medium to Contact you. I am Edes Abebe, A cousin and personal assistant to the late Chief Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the late wife of the president Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria who died in Spain on Sunday the 23rd of Oct 2005 after an unsuccessful surgery operation.

As the cousin and personal to the deceased I handle in confidence some of her affairs, mostly properties, Investment and funds both domestic and overseas. In this case my sister/client who left Thirty million Great
British Pounds sterling (30,000,000.00) and so many other investments
with my signatory abroad for her personal reason.

The family will call me to account for her properties and funds overseas after two year of her death according to the tradition our people which will happen any moment from now as its past two year.
So at this juncture, I seek your consent to write the bank and present you
as a beneficiary of some part of the fund which has been approved for transfer by my late sister in her fund deposited in a particular bank,since i have all the documents regarding the deposited funds which I will disclose to you as we progress in this transaction. All we require from you is 100% trust, and honest corporations to enable us see this deal through, and I also guarantee you that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate process that will protect us from any breach of the law.

The sharing formula will be 60% for us 30% for you and 5 % for charity to my client's pet project CHILD CARE TRUST FOUNDATION , for the less privileged and disabled children and the remaining 5% will be set aside for any expenses incurred during the course of transfer process. Upon your prompt reply of your acceptance to this mail, I will forward a letter for fund transfer on your behalf to the bank to your designated bank account. I wait in anticipation for your cooperation in reply, and I am also ready for any question concerning the clarity of this transaction.

Upon consideration by you, send to me your followings :
1. Full Name
2. Address
3. Age/Sex
4. Occupation
5. Nationality
6. Tel number/fax

so that we can speedy up the transaction before i will be called to give account of the assets.
Please reply me through this email address :edes2abebe2005@gmail.com
Yours sincerely,
Mr Edes Abebe.

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