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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: Stella James <stellajames11@gmail.com>
Reply-To: stellajames00@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 03:02:32 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Private mail for you.

Dearest One,

I am Stella James
a female Ghanaian of 27 of age. I am the first daughter of my parents
with my 11 years old brother as the only children of my father and
mother. However, I wish to inform you that my father was the commander
of the ancient Ashanti Kingdom in Ghana
and there was a controversial scandal going on into the Gold Sector of
the Government whereby the government requested he should over influence
a contract to the sum of US$300,000,000.00 Million to their personal
benefits as top officials of the government.

To
the refusal of my late father to this proposal, they have to kill him
to have their way for their
own selfish interest. But before the death of my father, he told me
that he deposited the sum of US$10,500,000.00 (Ten Million, Five Hundred
Thousand Dollars) with 50kg of Gold in Security Company in two metallic
boxes as consignments but registered them as precious items and
personal effects.

He
told me that incase if anything happens to him that, I should make sure
I find a foreign partner that will help us move the consignments out
from the security company and invest the funds. He also warned us not to
associate with any of his friends down here or members of the family
for our own safety.

I
want you to know that he gave me the Certificate of Deposit of the
funds; I will supply you with these documents once you agree to help us
and have only 30% of
the total funds after your efforts.

Hope to hear from you so that I will inform you what to do next.

Yours truly,

Stella James

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