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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: "James Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jameswilliams137@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 15:03:13 +0100
Subject: Compliments of the season

Dear friend,
 
Compliments of the season,
 
First and foremost, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction and I pray that my decision to contact you will be given genuine approval considering the facts we have not known each other before, it is indeed my pleasure to write to you this letter, which I believe will be a surprise, as we are both complete strangers.
 
I wish to use this opportunity to introduce my self to you. I am James Williams from Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa. I am the first son of late Honorable Dr. Moses Williams he was a coca dealer in our country. my late father had a bullet shot by the rebels on his way traveling out of my country with two of my kid sister's due to present crisis that is occurring in my country Cote d'Ivoire).my sister's died on the spot while United Nation peace keeping force secured my late father, he was taken to hospital for medical treatment which he later died.
 
I find your area so good to invest in and I want you to help me to transfer $5.3 million USD dollars deposited in a Security Company here in Ghana and presently I am in refuge camp here in Ghana and I want to present you to the Security Company as my late father foreign partner so that this funds can be release to us and I also have all the real legal document that covers this transaction which I will sent to you on your request and for prove.
 
I want you to go through this message and get back to me with the information below as soon as possible for full details and you have a greater role to play as to these funds and please if you are not really interested in my proposal kindly delete my message immediately.
 
Kindly send to me this following information as:
 
Your full name
Your direct private cell phone number and fax.
Your current resident home address
 
Contact me by this email address: jameswilliams137@yahoo.com
 
Thanks you and God bless you.
Best regards
James Williams

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