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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: "maxwell53@cantv.net" <maxwell53@cantv.net>
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 16:02:58 -0430
Subject: From Maxwell Nnanna

From Maxwell Nnanna

Address/Rue 159 BP Riviri 01

ABIDJAN.

Dear/Sir

It is indeed my pleasure to write to you this letter, which I believe will be a suprise, as we are both complete strangers.
 
I am Maxwell Nnanna 21yrs old from Republic of Liberia.
 
I am  contacting you to seek for your hunble assistance , based on the money left in the bank by my late father whom death accured on the 27th May 2007.

Before he died , he secretly called me on his sick bed and told me of this money USD$18.5 Million dollars ( Eighteen million , Five Hundred Thousand United state dollars) which he left in the bank here in ABIDJAN- Cote D'Ivoire.

It might interest you to know that this transaction is highly confidential for both of us, all the transfer formalities has been arranged. 

We have decided to give you 10% of the total sum if you are able to assist us on the areas of investment.  As we have practical reasons for not investing in Abidjan.

This money has secretly been deposited in a FIXED DEPOSIT BANK ACCOUNT where it can easily be transfer to a recommended bank account.

We look forward to hear from you.

Thanks and God Bless.

Maxwell J. Nnanna

 

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