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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: "Christine La" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <christinela@mail.mn>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:21:28 +0200
Subject: Hello My Dearest One.

Dearest One,

Complement of the day, I hope that today finds you well, thanks be to God.

It is my pleasure to contact you for a business venture which I intend to establish in your country, though I have not met you before but I believe one has to risk, confiding in someone to succeed in this life.

My name is Miss Christine Laurent, I am the only Daughter of my parents, late Mr and Mrs Laurent Roussel, and I'm 22 years old, a Christian but I was meant to understand that a woman has no religion until she belong to a family, I can abide to any religious community as long as it is the same God.

I contacted you after my praying and fasting for God's direction in search of an honest and sincere person who will sincerely assist me in this transaction; I took the risky to contact you due to my present situation, hoping that you will not betray me. I believe that my contact with you is not by chance but for the good will of almighty God to be done in our life.

Please and Please, Do not be embarrassed, I have prayed for God's direction to find a honest and truthful person to assist me with this, I know it will not be easy trusting one another this time around because of what is going on in the world today but I hope for the will of God to take place. I am seeking your attention to help me transfer the sun of Six Million, Three hundred and fifty thousand America dollars ( US $6,350,000.00) in your account and to help me invest it in a lucrative business in your country. Please it is more than urgent.

Before the sudden death of my father in a private hospital here in Abidjan, he secretly called me at his bed side, when I sat down to listen to him, he started crying and complained that I am too young to be managing my life now with no one to take care of me without knowing that he is leaving me all alone in this wicked world, That I have not finished my university education as he planned for me and he also revealed this to me.

He also explained to me that it was because of his wealth that he is suffering of the poison he was suffering from, in the hospital. That l should seek for a God fearing foreign partner in a foreign country (the country of my choice) where l will transfer this money and use it for proper investment purpose, that I should assure him that I must finish my university education, may be by the help of a business partner abroad, that he or she should help me obtain a resident permit in his or her country.

The fear of this money not raising eye brow here in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, I decided to contact you, seeking for your honest and sincere assistance because I am too young to handle this transaction. I will give you more information and my photos as soon as I hear from you.

I have decided to offer you 20% of the total amount of money as a compensation for your efforts input in this transaction, that is just for your honest and sincere assistance to me, then you handle and control the investment while I forward my education there in your country and joins you in the investment as soon as I finish my education under your guardian.

I will fly to meet you there in your country for the investment and to start my new life with you after the success of this transaction, I hope of establishing a rewarding and good relationship with you.

I am waiting to hear from you as soon as possible so that I will give you more information and send you my photos.

Thanks and God bless you as you sincerely extend a helping hand to an orphan like me who is dearly in need of your honest assistance.

Best regard.

Christine.


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