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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: "Mrs. Mona Hakim" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <monak1@centrum.cz>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:20:47 +0100
Subject: From: Mona Hakim

Dear Beloved.
I am Mrs. Mona Hakim, a childless widow, I am married to the late Engr. Sahad Hakim of blessed memory who worked with British embassy in Kuwait for twelve years and retired as an oil and diamond merchant, before he died in 2006. After the death of my husband I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home. I fought against cancer with 4 years after his death, fibroid problems and hearing impairment as a result of drug reactions. We were married for ten years without children. He died after a short illness. Recently, my doctor told me that I would not last long in the next 3 months because of my illness with cancer.
 
I have a deposit of $10.6 Million Dollars (Ten Million Six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which I want you to use for humanitarian work.
 
I want to invest this fund into charity organization in Africa/Middle East due to the level of poverty there. Many Children are not going to school and not having the enabling environment due to their bad government there. In short, I want you to use this Fund to improve humanity. I am taking this decision because I do not have a child who will inherit this money and I can not believe my relatives, because they were hostile to me, since I have been suffering cancer.
 
As soon as I receive your reply, I shall inform my lawyer here in London to help you with the release of the fund to you. I want you to exclusively use this fund to help the less privileged and build orphanage homes in Africa/Middle East or anywhere poverty. Please, I want you to also assure me that you will act accordingly as I have stated herein.
 
God bless you,
Mrs. Mona Hakim.

Anti-fraud resources: