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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: "formal First Lady" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <yar_dua@yahoo.cn>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:52:36 -0700
Subject: In God I believed

Dearest Friend
 
I will be seeking for your maximum confidential after going through this mail, am also sorry to impersonate your privacy.
 
I am sending this letters to you on trust & with all assumption without reservation that you will be honest. Although this might come to you as a surprise, since it's from someone you do not know or have seen before, but based on trust, & reliability. My question is can you be trusted? This transaction under consideration means everything in the World to me & me as once in a lifetime opportunity.
 
I am Mrs.  Turai Yar"dua, the formal   first lady of federal republic of Nigeria I'm seeking for your full confidence as me and my late husband formal Mr. President, as he was is in sick bed for several month which he was moved to Saudi Arabia for special treatments, President Umaru Yar'Adua returns from Saudi hospital to Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Wednesday after a three-month absence while receiving medical treatment abroad. His health is expected to determine whether he resumes leadership powers from the vice president, citizens conclude of bringing him back to the country which they inform him to resign from the office Before his death I was instructed to go through his personal account, and after going through I realized that there is a hugged amount of dollars in the bank and he ask me to do something about it and conclude to make a better arrangement of the money before he died,
 
I will like to make a good transaction of the money in to a foreign account, that is why I came to you for your full confidential assistance, which the deal has to go in quick form, as the owner of the account I will ask you to secure the money, for my family after the money as being transfer into your account please what I really want from you is your personal trust. If you are interested, please kindly send me the best reply, to make the transaction successfully. I was instructed to find a good partner that we can trust for our assistance. I will be so glad if you can make this mail be confidential please for my position sake, after going through the mail. Kindly reply me via e-mail: signifying please let me know your personal interest.
 
For quick communication, we will be so grateful, if you are the God sent to brighter our future after we moan my late husband in Nigeria to start a new life with my families.
 
In God I believed.
 
Thanks And Best regard
Turai Yar"dua (formal First Lady)

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