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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: alexsmith375@gmail.com (ALEX SMITH)
Reply-To: alexsmith375@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 13:35:25 -500
Subject: PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP


Dear Dad/Mum,
I hope this message reaches you in good health (Amen). Truthfully, I am very
sorry to have browsed your email address from the internet to send youthis mail
without your consent or approval. Please do understand. To start with, permit me
to introduce myself to you. I am Alex Smith I am 18yrs of age, from the Mecca
District of Bomi Country in the Republic of Liberia. My father Hon. Williams
Smith, the director of Smith Timber Company and the onetime special adviser to
the Minister of Natural Resources was murdered by anopposition Leader during the
previous Crisis in my country (Republic ofLiberia). Before the death of my
father (Hon. Williams Smith) during theearly stage of the war of my country, he
revealed a secret to my mother thathe deposited $30.Million USD as a family
treasure box in a Security Company in the
Republic of Ghana. He ask my mother and I to leave Liberia and come to the near
by Country Ghana, where we can find refugee and havepeace for our dear lives.
Having a meeting with my late father's Ghanaianlawyer (Barrister Mark Okolo), he
told my mother and I that all vitaldocuments as regards to the deposit and claim
of this consignment in theSecurity Company was handed over to him by my late
father. We went tothe Security Company for the claim of this consignment but we
could not makethe claim due to my father's laid down will for me to consult his
foreignbusiness partner before the release of the consignment which my father
didnot disclose to me before his untimely death. Now as the next of kin and
theonly Surviving child who is presently with my mother(Mrs. Mary Smith) in
theUnited Nations refugee camp(Bujumbura) Ghana, I seek for your
humanitarianassistance to enable us claim this consignment in your
name as the foreign beneficiary and help us receive this family treasure box
(consignment) in your country while you invite me over to you for the sharing
and investmentin a lucrative production or business in your country as it is the
laid down instruction by my late father for me to consult his foreign partner
who willguide me in the investment in his country due to Africa political crisis
andinstability in the African economy. Mistrust is like an axe on the tree
ofpartnership but since only God could ordain trust, I will be very grateful to
Him to build up such a relationship with you in accordance to his will. I
promise you with all sincerity and a heart full of thankfulness to God thatI
shall give you all true love and respect and I would be grateful to Godthe
almighty if you will be kind, understanding and trus worthy enough tohelp get a
better life. I promise to give you 20% of the total fund and
15% per-annual in the investment as your benefit of assisting me a young
refugeeand a fatherless child attains a better life. God bless as I expect your
reply and thanks in advance.

Sincerely,

Alex Smith.



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