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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: " Judith Ferguson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <judithferguson1@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:06:21 +0200
Subject: Good Morning

Good Morning.


Introducing myself, I am Judith Ferguson from South Africa and personal adviser to late Mrs. Renne, a client of mine, who has a servicing firm affiliated with the Power Electric Authority here in South Africa.

My late client Mrs. Renne was awarded a contract worth (US$37,600,000.00). Immediately this contract was awarded and signed, an initial amount of (US$8.600, 000.00) was paid to her as mobilization fee to kick off the contract with the balance of
US$29,000,000.00 to be paid to her when the contract was completed. On the 10th April 2007, two weeks after the contract was completed, my client, her husband and their two kids were involved in a ghastly car accident along Marcory expressway in Kimberly,
South Africa. Unfortunately, all the occupants in the car lost their lives.

Not too long after her untimely death, her outstanding balance of US$29,000,000.00 was approved and deposited in a Bank here. Right now the fund is floating unclaimed in the suspense account of the offshore correspondence payment centre here.

I have reasoned very professionally and I feel it will be legally proper to present you as the next of kin of my deceased client, so that you can be paid the remaining balance of her contract funds left in the Bank. I am using this opportunity to seek for your assistance in
repatriating the fund and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank where this huge deposit were lodged. The Power Electric Authority issued me a notice as the Attorney to the deceased to provide the Next of Kin or have the Account confiscated.

Note that I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives of my deceased client for over a year that I have been searching, So I seek your concept to present you as the Next of Kin or family member to the deceased since you are at an advantage to enable her
remaining balance of her contract funds valued at (US$29,000,000.00) be paid to you. We shall both share the funds on the sharing ratio as we
proceed and a certain amount will be for any incurred expenses and for donation to charitable organizations.

I have all the necessary legal documents that will back up our claim.
All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us see this project through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of
law after the transfer is successfully done.

Make sure you do contact me through my private email address judithferguson1@yahoo.co.jp

Please do provide me with the following details.


Full Names:
Residential Address:
Telephone/Fax #:
Age:
Occupation:
Gender:


Best personal regards,
Mrs. Judith Ferguson (Esq.)

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