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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: "Racheal Garry" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rachealgarry@ymail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2010 16:51:00 +0100
Subject: PLEASE DEAR FRIEND YOUR URGENT HELP IS NEEDED...

Dear Friend,
Accept my apologies for intruding your privacy, but this is the only available means of reaching you. Therefore, I plead for your compassionate hearing towards my search for your assistance.
My name is Mrs. Racheal T.Garry; I am a citizen of the United States of America, and presently in London, United Kingdom; where I am been hospitalized for a life threatening cancer of the liver (hepatitis C). The doctors are not giving me an encouraging sign for recovery and survival.
My situation worsen by the death of my Husband (Mr. Phillip Garry) and my only son Phillip Garry Jnr, were involved in the recent air mishap involving the AirBus447 en-route Paris from Brazil earlier in june. My whole life ended on that plane.
My husband was a crude oil merchant and also an expatriate for Shell.Over the years,he had a lot of contracts from oil companies in west africa and many other oil producing nations in africa successfully until his untimely death.This boils down to my reason for contacting you.After his death, my late husband's relations which are not even members of his extended family, are seriously conniving with his secretary to get all his money left in one of his bank account in west africa, which is worth one million, four hundred and seventy thousand united states dollars { $1,470,000usd} illegally.
Due to my health condition,the fact that i am deaf and dumb from birth and because they know that all my helpers have not yet resumed from their xmas vacation, my late husband's relations have already provided false documents to the bank to effect the transfer of my family’s fortune on my behalf. My account officer brought this information to my notice and advised me on an immediate action to take.
Considering the fact that I was raised up in an orphanage and I do not have any relatives, I have no other choice but to plead with you to assist me.I got to search about you from your country guestbook and i feel you really are a God fearing person,so i plead with you to help me regain my rightful asset so as to be able to treat myself from my present illness.
You will work in collaboration with my account officer to get all the money safely into your account for safety purpose, as my health condition is not giving me an impressive signal.
Having said this, I am not in the right state to physically involve myself. I cannot even talk or move effectively. Truly speaking, all I have is HOPE of getting out of this situation.
I will give you more information on what next to do, when I receive your acceptance to help me. Let it be known that I am willing to forfeit 50% of these funds to you.
I understand the possibilities of you having mixed feelings and distrust in your heart in respect of this email, but I urge you to give all you can to help me.
More so, there is no way I would know if I will be properly understood; but I owe it to the future and success of this union.
Please get back to me only on this email: rachealgarry@ymail.com
Please the following information to my email above:
Full name:
Address:
Direct Phone number:
Age:
Occupation:
I look forward to your timely response
Racheal Garry.

Anti-fraud resources: