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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: morris esther <morris_esther@msn.com>
Reply-To: <esthermorris18@yahoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:29:33 +0000
Subject: Dear one,




Dear one,

Good day to you, I hope my mail meets you in good health. Please do not be surprise to receive this letter. I am coming to you in good faith with believe that you will not let me down in this unpleasant situation. I will be thankful to you if you could understand my plight and touch your heart to help me out.

I am Miss ESTHER MORRIS the only child of Late Chief & Mrs JUDE MORRIS of Cote d'Ivoire. My father was a wealthy businessman who deals on Cocoa and Diamond. My father was killed last year on his way to business trip. The enemy who killed my father was not discovered till now and it makes me to be afraid because I might be the next target by the enemy. I am the only child, my mother died two years after my birth and my father did not marry another wife. My immediate uncle has made live difficult for me since the death of my father because he wants to claim my late father properties which rightfully belong to me as the only child. It is my belief that my wicked uncle has hand in the death of my father because of his greedy attitude over my father's wealth.

After the burial of my father the wicked uncle started to maltreat me because i am too small to fight him. According to our tradition whereas a man died without a male child his immediate brother should take over his properties. The so-called tradition has made it easy for the wicked uncle to overshadow me and gain ground on my late father's wealth. Now my life is in danger which made me to run away from the family house to hide myself in a local guest house because the wicked uncle wants to kill me.
I am contacting you because of the sum of US$4.6M (Four Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which my late father deposited in a bank here in my country with my name as the next of kin. The wicked uncle did not know anything about the money that is why i ran out from the family so that I can contact you to assist me to transfer the money into your account because the bank did not agree to release the money directly to me. The bank wants me to provide somebody as my guardian who can receive the money on my behalf according to the content of my late father's Will. Now i donî–¹ want any body here to know about the money that is why i need your confidential assistance for the bank to transfer the money to your account as my foreign partner and guardian.
As soon as the bank transfers the money to you i will prepare travel papers and come over to meet you in your country and further my education while you invest the money for me in any lucrative business in your country.

Please kindly let me know if you can help me for the transaction so that i can go to the bank to introduce you as my foreign partner and guardian, after the introduction i will give you the bank contact detail so that you can contact them for the transfer of the money into your nominated account. I will be glad to give you 20% of the money for your assistance after the transfer, and furthermore you will have share in the profit of the investments.
I hope to hear from you urgent as possible.
Thanks and God bless,
Yours Miss Esther Morris.


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