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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Miss Sarah Smith <srhsmth92@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: ssrhssmth92@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:01:48 +0300
Subject: GET BACK TO ME.

Good day to you,

I'm very sorry to have disturbed you with my Proposal, My name is Sarah Smith,
I am 26 years old, from London - England, where I school and work as a health
care worker for part time job I do after my school. I am the only daughter of
my parents my father died on a fatal auto accident on his way to see my sick
mother at the hospital where she was admitted for Cancer treatments, she also
die when she heard about the death of my father in same day at the hospital.

Before the death of my father, he had Willed part of his Real Estate Business
and a total sum of £15,700,000.00(Fifteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand
Pounds Sterling) to me. Now at his death, and because things has become very
hard for me paying my school fees, putting food on the table and
taking care of
my other needs which the health care job I do as a part time work after school
hours can't help, I went to the bank where my late father deposited the funds
on my behalf to withdraw money to take care of my self and pay for my school
fees and other bills.

I was shocked when the Bank Manager explained to me that I will not be able to
draw from the deposited money, because my father had put a clause on the Will
saying i should be given access to the money when I'm either married or 30
years old or if I get married before the age of 30, in which case, my husband
will be legible to collect the money on my behalf by standing in as my late
fathers next of kin to claim the deposited funds on my behalf.

Today I am only 26 years old. And I have no access to the money till I'm 30
years. So, I'm contacting you to stand in as my husband to claim this fund on
my behalf, But if you are already married , you can still help me by standing
in as my late fathers next of kin to the deposited funds. So, please get back
to me as to know how you will be remunerated as I will part with 30% of the
total sum £15,700,000.00(Fifteen Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Pounds
Sterling) ,while 5% will be mapped out for any expenses that may incur in the
course of the transaction.

Please remember that I am writing you this email purely on the ground of trust
so we can achieve this deal together. This transaction will last for two weeks
after you get back to me showing me how serious you are to claim these
funds on
my behalf.

Yours Truly,
Miss Sarah Smith

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