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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: "Mrs Thulani Stevens" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <thulanistevensmrs@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:18:36 +0200
Subject: Re: A Cry For Help...

Hello Dear,
 
I am Mrs. Thulani Stevens a widow and a citizen of Zimbabwe currently living here in South Africa with my 10-year-old twins-Alexandra and Davidson Jnr as a refugee, I inherited the sum of US$9M (Nine Million United States America Dollars) from my late husband David Stevens which he deposited in a private security company here in south Africa before he died, he was a very rich tobacco farmer before he was politically killed by the government of Robert Mugabe. lf you listen to international news CNN or BBC you will know what is happening in my country Zimbabwe , please go into this website you will understand me;
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/715001.stm
 
I know you will be surprised and worried by receiving such letter from a total stranger like me, I plead with you to listen and act on my request please. I have found you interesting as a partner who l can trust to help me transfer this money out of South Africa to your country and my heart accepts to trust you. I am living as a refugee; l cannot transfer this money due to my Asylum status. I am willing to give you some commission, Do not be surprise l am sending you this kind of mail, l will tell you more when l hear from you, l also have a good friend of my late husband who is a financial adviser here who promise to help me transfer this money from a South African bank when l get somebody (Foreign person) l trust, he is the one that advised me to get an international partner to assist me. l will want you to be honest with me please that is all l need from you. I will tell you more about this transaction when I get your reply.
 
Please I want you to be honest with me, if you are not honest with me, I will not go on with you. I am waiting for your response. Please contact me on the below email address: thulanistevensmrs@yahoo.com.hk
 
Thank you and God bless.
 
Mrs. Thulani Stevens

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