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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: LAWSON STANLEY2 <lawson.stanley2@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: lawson.stanly@cantv.net
Date: Sun, 9 May 2010 15:58:52 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Hi, Good Morning,


Hi, Good Morning,
 
I know this revelation will keep you wondering why I should trust you with this information’s I am about to reveal to you or if what I am saying is the truth especially with the high level of scam mails that is going all round the internet.Please I need you to trust and believe me if you can. I need you to make out time to read this mail attentively in order to understand the reason why I am sending you this mail.
 
I am Lawson, 20 years of age, the only child of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Stanley, My parents were Natives of Ivory Coast before they migrated to the United States when I was just 4 year old. We were residing at No 215 West Wieuca Road Northeast Atlanta, Georgia USA and I attended the famous Frederick Douglass High School northwest Atlanta, Georgia USA, but when my mother fell sick and died June 2001, My father became weak every day and later my father felled sick as well, I believe it was the shock of my mum's sudden death that deteriorated his health.
 
He got retired from his office, Fidelity National Insurance Company at No 200 Galleria Parkway Southeast Atlanta GA 30339 USA October 2004, from there we moved to New York City because of my dad medication.
 
Then December 2005 my father called me and told that he doesn't want to die in a foreign land,that he has made enough money, that he felt the best thing for him to do now is for us to relocate back to his home country COTE D'lVOIRE so that he can set up his own Insurance company and create job opportunities to his people and he also told me that he want me to Learn our culture and to know his relatives. On the 14 of December 2005 we returned back to COTE D'lVOIRE.
 
Then after some time my dad started to look for properties to buy in order set up an office, in several occasions I went out with him to inspect some properties. But unfortunately on the 22nd of February 2006 my father collapsed and later died.
The reason why am telling you all this now, is because my life is in danger and knew that you are stranger of which you can help me out!!!
 
The reason why I am telling you and revealing to you all of my family's secret is because my late father burial is over and my Uncles are now searching for me every where looking for bank documents that my father used in depositing the money in question in the bank here when his sickness became serious.
But they didn’t know that I hided all the vital documents that is covering the money in a safe place outside the house where they can not find them based on my late father's advice on his sick bed before his death. This secret has been in my mind for some years now and I don't even know who to tell because I need someone to help me receive this money in a foreign account to enable me leave here peacefully. This is the reason why I am contacting you to help me received the money.
 
You have to kindly provide me you bank account information where the money will be transferred into, before I will arrange my traveling documents to pick the next available flight to join you once you confirm to me that you have received the money in your bank account.
 
I have thought about it and I came to the final conclusion that this is the only way I can get the money transferred out of this country without my uncles knowing about it.
If you have the fear of God Almighty and believe that you can help me please respond to this mail include your direct telephone number and also try to call me for more details.
I want you to know that I passed across so many people and many profiles as well before I came in contact with your contact information’s and when I did, my heart and the spirit of God dwelling in me asked me to have confident and trust on you.
 
Please get back to me ASAP, Reply to this email (lawson.stanly@cantv.net)
 
God bless you as I look forward in meeting you soon!!!
 
Thanks,
Lawson Stanly.

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