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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: MUSA ABDULLAH <musaabdulllah81@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: musaabdullah81@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:20:31 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Proposal


Dear

I humbly write to solicit for your partnership and assistance in the transfer and investment of my inheritance fund (USD$9.000.000.00) from my late father who died mysteriously last Dec.
 
I will like to further introduce myself to you. My name is Musa Abdullah; I am an age of 21 years old boy, the only child and son of my late parents Mr. and Mrs. Mohammed Abdullah.
It was very evident that he was poisoned to death. I lost my mother when I was barely a year old and my father refused to re-marry another wife because he felt solely responsible for my mother's death. This is so because he concentrated much on his businesses that he rarely pays attention to domestic affairs.
 
He was always travelling taking care of his businesses that he did not notice when my mother took ill.
 
He thought it was a minor illness and was ignorant of this. My mother on her own resorted to self-medication. It was not until the illness degenerated that my father took my mother to hospital where she was diagnosed to find out that hepatitis had eaten deep into her blood stream. She didn't last long before she died.
 
This happened when I was barely a year old. Based on this, my father could not forgive himself easily because of it and said he was responsible for her death as he could have saved her if only he had paid attention to the things at home rather than concentrating much on his businesses.
 
Despite all entreaties by friends and relatives, he refused to remarry but ensured that I had everything that I wanted. It was as a result of this that he made me the next of kin to his fund deposit with the bank and stated that in the event of any eventuality, I should have a direct access to the fund, only when I am 26years of age otherwise, I should have a guardian/partner intercede on my behalf for the release of the fund to me.
 
Unfortunately, he died last year and I am 21 years of age currently. This is why I have contacted you to serve as a guardian and as my foreign partner for the investment of my inheritance fund to overseas.
 
My uncles do not know about the funds because they had already taken my father's houses and other properties and they are looking for a way to kill me. They have requested to have my father's file where all the documents that proof the existence of my inheritance fund in the bank where kept but I simply told them that I do not know where he kept them.
My late father younger brother took the house in the village while the houses in the town were sold out they shared the proceed they got from the sealing the house.
 
Right now I am in the hotel since 3months now and do sincerely want to travel out of this country. This can only happen when I have secured the release and transfer of my inheritance funds into your bank account. This is why it is important that we have a plan on the type of lucrative business that we can invest the funds on.
 
I had a various times discussions with the operation director of the bank where my father deposited the funds and I was assured that once, I have someone who would be willing to receive my inheritance fund on my behalf, they shall commence all proceedings to effect the transfer of my inheritance into the person's designated bank account for investment project.
 
Now that you have signified your interest to partner with me, it would only be very necessary if you contact the bank and request for the transfer of my inheritance fund into your bank account in your country for the purpose of investment and to further have me come over to your country to continue with my studies.
 
I shall be giving you the bank contact details as soon as I hear back from you so that you will go ahead and contact the bank.
 
Talk to you the more.
Regard
Sincerely
Musa Abdullah

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