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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: "Miss Precious Deba" <pdeba10@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:33:15 -1200
Subject: FROM MISS PRECIOUS DEBA

FROM MISS PRECIOUS DEBA
NICLA REFUGEE CAMP,
Ivory Coast
Email: pcdeba@live.fr


Dear Friend,

my name is Miss Precious Deba and am the only surviving
child of my parents who died in one of the mugabe's crazy
land reforms crises in zimbabwe.

i am contacting you not only because of my sympathetic
situation but also for your advise/help in the management of
an inherited funds worth of us$8.5m(eight million, five
hundred thousand dollars).

the funds in question was deposited with a private security
firm here in abidjan-Ivory coast by my late father.

i decided to leave my country(zimbabwe) for security reasons
as well as to increase my search for a reliable person who
can help me reform my life which is in shamles at the moment
and having found you contact on the internet business page,
i hope you will not let me down or betray me at the end of
the day.

i am ready to compensate your much needed assistance as we
will agree when i get your nod of acceptance.

i will wait hopefully for your urgent and confidential
response as i assure you that it is a risk free transaction.

regards,

Pecious Deba
please reply to : pcdeba@live.fr

Anti-fraud resources: