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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: Austin Kola <austinkola@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 11:00:16 +0000
Subject: Hello.

Dearest Billie Brann



It is indeed my pleasure to write you this letter, which I believe will be a
surprise to you as we have never met before, and I am deeply sorry if I have
in any manner disturbed your privacy. Please forgive me this unusual manner
to contact you, but this particular letter is of exceptional and very
private nature. There is absolutely going to be a great doubt and distrust
in your mind in respect of this email, coupled with the fact that, my
condition made me to reach you but there is no way for me to know whether It
will be properly understood by you, but it is my duty to write and reach out
to you.


My name is Austin Kola from (Zimbabwe) lives in Cote D'Ivoire in West
Africa. I am contacting you because of the present civil war in Cote
D'Ivoire. The rebels killed my father in the present political crises in the
Country Cote D'Ivoire. I am writing to seek your honest assistance for the
claim and transfer the sum of (US7.5 Million Dollars) which my late father
deposited in a bank outside the country in (Togo Lome).


I have plans to invest this money in your country, preferably on Real Estate
business, Coffee & Cocoa business or into an Industrial (Production) Project
that will be profit oriented, under a joint partnership venture with you.
This is my reason for writing this mail to you. For God's sake, if you are
humane enough, touched by my condition and very willing to help and assist
me in this my trying period, please indicate your interest by replying me as
quickly as possible.


I prayed over this issue before contacting you and due to the current
political crisis in around the Africa Nation now, I am seeking for your
assistance to help me transfer this Money to your account and also relocate
to your country to further my study and I am willing to offer you 15% of the
total sum for your help. Please, kindly respond to me on my private email
address. (Austin_ Kola6@yahoo.com) for more detail.


Best Regards
Austin Kola

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