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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: "Mr. Desmond Momoh" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnsmith01@ciudad.com.ar>
Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 19:53:02 +0100
Subject: YOUR LONG AWAITED PACKAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED

Greetings!

I am Mr.Desmond Momoh,i have be waiting for you since to contact me for your Confirmable Bank Draft of $720.000.00 United States Dollars. This is to compensate you for your previous effort to assist me for the transfer of my late client fund to a Foreign account, but I did not hear from you since then. I sent you this email to let you know that i deposited the Draft with FEDEX COURIER SERVICE, West Africa, I Have travelled out of the country for a 3 Months Course and I will not come back till end of December.

What you have to do now is to contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE PERSONEL as soon as possible to know when they will deliver your package to you because of the expiring date. For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Cheque showing that it is not a Drug Money or meant to sponsor Terrorist attack in your Country.

The only money you will send to the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE to deliver your Draft direct to your postal Address in your country is ($100.00 USD) only being Security Keeping Fee of the Courier Company so far. Again, don't be deceived by anybody to pay any other money except $100.00 US Dollars. I would have paid that but they said no because they don't know when you will contact them and in case of demurrage.You have to contact the FEDEX COURIER SERVICE PERSONEL right now for the delivery of your Draft with this information bellow;

Contact Person: Rev. John Smith
Email Address: johnsmith01@ciudad.com.ar

Finally, make sure that you reconfirm your Postal address() and Direct telephone number to them again to avoid any mistake on the Delivery Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this mail to avoid any further delay and remember to pay them their Security Keeping fee of $100.00 US Dollars for their immediate action.

You should also let me know through email as soon as you receive your Draft.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr.Desmond Momoh


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