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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: BRENDA JEFF <brenda.jeff@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: brendajeff01@yahoo.fr
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:47:40 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Dear Friend Good Day,




Abidjan Hospital
602 ivory Coast Ave.
MI 49423
                                          
           Please use this money for the less privileged.

Greetings to you and your family in the name of God.  In my search for a reliable and God fearing person and having gotten your contact through prayers and painstaking efforts I have decided to seek your help in carrying out my last wishes. My name is Mrs. Brenda Jeff I'm a 38 years old woman and from Abidjan Cote D'ivoire.  I was a merchant and owned two businesses in Dubai. I was also married with two children. My husband and two children died in a car accident five years ago.
 
Before this happened, my business and concern for making money was all I live for. I never really cared about other values in life. But since the loss of my family, I have found a new desire to assist helpless families.  I have been helping orphans  orphanage/motherless homes. I have also donated some money for humanitarian needs in Sudan, South Africa,  Brazil, Spain, Austria, Germany and some Asian countries.
 
Only recently I saw on television the colossal loss of properties and livelihood people in Canberra, Australia through fire.  I was moving with great pity and compassion that I decided to make this contribution on assisting people over there, I kept (10.4Million Euro) only in a long-term deposit account in a Finance company here in Abidjan Cote D'ivoire. Presently, I'm in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for esophagi cancer at Netherland.  I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only few months to live.
 
It is my last wish to see this money distributed to victims of the fire outbreak in Australia and other charity organization.  I have enclosed for you the Current Photograph I took below because relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth since my illness, I cannot live with the agony entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them.

Please, I beg you in the name of God to help me collect the deposit and distribute it accordingly. Use your judgment to distribute the money and keep 23% of it to yourself.  If you are willing to help, please reply as soon as possible. With your phone number. Once I receive your urgent reply, my attorney will assist you to have this fund transferred from the bank where this fund is presently deposited.
 
May the good God bless you,Send reply and all correspondences to my private email: 
brendajeff01@yahoo.fr
Regards
Mrs. Brenda Jeff 
                        

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