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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: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: jhnlawson30@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:00:42 +0530 (IST)
Subject: Dear: From John Lawson


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: john_lawson5829@yahoo.in



- Hello dear, Good day, I hope that this peice of mail will reach you in good manners and in a perfect healthy condition? Please, I am sorry to burder you with my problems and I know that it's not by mistake that I am contacting you but by the special grace of God. I am John Lawson, 22years old and the only child of mylate parents late {Chief and Mrs. Lawson Andrew Gabriel} My mother died when i was a baby, and My father established his business in Accra Ghana West Africa,and he died shortly of heart attack. His death has now made me an orphan and i am exposed to danger. Before the unfortunate death of my father,he told me about some money {$9.5 Million U.S.Dollars} and a 500 Kilos of Gold Dust which he kept inside two metallic boxes deposited with a Security Company here in Accra Ghana as a family treasure. Since the death of my father, my uncles have sent me out of our house and collected most of my late fathers properties except this money that they do not know about. I a!
m presently taking shelter in a church with a certain pastor and his family. My father said he used my name as his only child as his next of kin to the deposit and in case he fails to make it that I should take care of myself and get someone to help invest the money for me. I have all the legal documents with me here and the key to the boxes, my father did not disclose the content of the two trunk boxes to the security company to avoid the officials from raising eye brows to it. Presently I have contacted the security company about my claim of the trunk boxes but the security company told me that my father made an agreement with the company management that they should not release the two trunk boxes to me without a foreign partner that is why i am seeking for your assistance to help me stand before the company as my foreign beneficiary partner or my guardian to receive the trunk boxes in your country so that i can come over to meet you and continue my education. Please help!
me and stand as my guardian and contact the security company. I want
you to come down here to be sure of what i am saying and after the transaction,i will go back with you After you have help me get my inheritance, I am willing to offer to you 15% of the total sum as a compensation for your help and you will also help me with the investment of this money since i do not have any idea of investment. Thank you and God bless. John Lawson


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