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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: "mark" (may be fake)
Reply-To: < Evan.Mrs.Mark@live.com>
Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 04:41:57 +0900
Subject: Charity Donation

HELLO DEAR BELOVED.
GREETINGS TO YOU IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD, ITS ME MRS. VICTORIA MARK, I WANT
TO DONATE WHAT I HAVE TO THE NEEDY. YOU COULD BE SURPRISED WHY I PICKED YOU.
BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT.


I AM OLD AND LIVING WITH HIV AIDS AND CANCER. I HAVE BEEN TOUCHED TO DONATE
FROM WHAT I HAVE INHERITED FROM MY LATE HUSBAND TO CHARITY THROUGH YOU FOR
THE GOOD WORK OF HUMANITY, RATHER THAN ALLOW MY RELATIVES TO USE MY
HUSBAND'S HARD EARNED FUNDS INAPPROPRIATELY.

I HOPE TO BE FORGIVEN FOR ALL MY SINS AND I BELIEVE HE HAS, BECAUSE HE IS
MERCIFUL. I HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH HIV AIDS FOR YEARS. AND I KNOW THAT THE
DISEASE HAS NO CURE THEREFORE I WILL SURELY DIE.

I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND TO GIVE OUT (FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS)
TOWARDS THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV AIDS AND CANCER, AND OTHER HUMAN RELATED
DISEASES.

I WANT THIS TO BE DONE THROUGH YOU. PART OF THE MONEY WOULD ALSO BE USED TO
HELP THE MOTHERLESS, LESS PRIVILEGED AND ALSO FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF THE
WIDOWS.

PRESENTLY, I CAN NOT ANSWER CALLS DUE TO THE FACT THAT MY RELATIVES ARE
AROUND ME AND I HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED BY MY DOCTOR FROM TAKING TELEPHONE
CALLS BECAUSE I DESERVE ALL THE REST I CAN GET. PRESENTLY, I HAVE INFORMED
MY LAWYER ABOUT MY DECISION IN DONATING THE FUNDS.

I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, AND PLEASE USE THE MONEY WELL AND ALWAYS EXTEND THE
GOOD WORK TO OTHERS. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO CARRY OUT THIS TASK, I WILL INFORM
MY LEGAL ADVISER SO THAT HE CAN ARRANGE THE RELEASE OF THE FUNDS TO YOU.

I KNOW I HAVE NEVER MET YOU BUT MY MIND TELLS ME TO DO THIS, AND I HOPE YOU
ACT SINCERELY. I WILL PAY YOU A HANDSOME AMOUNT OF THIS MONEY IF YOU
WILL ASSIST ME BECAUSE I AM NOW WEAK TO DO THINGS MYSELF BECAUSE OF MY HIV
AIDS.

NB: I WILL APPRECIATE YOUR UTMOST SECRECY IN THIS MATTER UNTIL THE TASK IS
CARRIED OUT, AS I DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT WILL ALTER THIS MY LAST WISH LOVE,

MRS. VICTORIA MARK
EMAIL-Evan.Mrs.Mark@live.com

MY FULL PARTICULARS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS:
OCCUPATION:
COUNTRY:
TELEPHONE:
CELLPHONE:
SEX:
AGE:
INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT COPY OR ID CARD:

Anti-fraud resources: