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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: Mr.Hanks Salif <hanks_salif@asia.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:39:19 œ0800
Subject: Pls I Need Your Assistant.

Gooday, My name is Mr Hank Salif son of late Mr Ashirk Salif. I am contacting you on behalf of the Salif family with a great sense of loss having just finished a customary period of mourning for my late father, Mr. Ashirk Salif. Thank you for your attention, I must apologize firstly for contacting you by this medium because I had no other option. I am prepared to offer you a substantial amount of money for you to assist my family in this venture. My late father, Mr. Ashrik Salif was a very rich in IRAQ who was killed on his way coming back from work in march 2009. The Iraq war which known as Occupation of Iraq. Before his death, my father was preparing to re-locate to England, but due to new government in United State, he thought that will bring a change to our country untill his death. Before his death, He deposited the sum of 12,600.000 Iraq dinars, $10,951,000. (Ten Million Nine hundred and Fifty one Thousand) United state dollars equivalent in England Security Company. I need is your trustworthiness to be able to entrust the above said amount and help me with investment opportunities. I am contacting you with my mother, who is suffering from stroke sickness since May this year after the death of my father. Our reason of contacting you is to help us transfer the fund and as well give my mother good treatment in your country. I am urgently contacting you because I dont know what will happen to me or my mother any time. Please do not be surprised at this correspondence because her health has required me to seek your services urgently because I do not know how much longer she can live. Your assistance will guarantee you at least 30% of this money. Please do not ignore this correspondence and treat with utmost confidentiality due to the volume of money involved. I would love to speak to you on phone, but due to poor on my English communication, I dicided to reach you on email only. My email is hanks_salif@asia.com or hanks_salif@live.co.uk I wait for your urgent reply. Sincerely yours, MR. Hanks Salif.

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