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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: "Robyn Cass" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <robyn_c762411@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:45:56 +0800
Subject: Will you be of help?

Dear Friend,

I am lady of 29years old, I was given birth in Tottenham London. Am mixed race, my dad is a British while my mom a native of America and am the only kid of my folks. My parents died 3years ago in a fire outbreak in my dad's factory in Enfield road in London. Have not been married but I’ve been into so many relationships, which seems hurt to me and inwhich I was cheated. The problem I am into now was caused by my last EX-date.

I am out of the States now and I will like to discuss what brought me here from the United States or your country. Before coming here, I registered to search a date on a dating site www.match.com where I meet an African guy who proved that he loves and he wants me. We talked for 1 month and some weeks. The African guy convinced me to come down and live with him pretending to Love me. Then I traveled down to Africa and while I was coming, the African guy told me to come with enough money for investment and I even go to the extent to sell my inherited house just because I want to leave the States.

I came in here with a total sum of $4,500,000.00 with all the money I've gotten from my Dad's business and sales of some properties. Because the African guy told me of an idea to investment in oil firms here. When I got here, he made all possible means to get the money from me and get away with my money. Then when I noticed this, I took the money and my traveling boxes and deposited it with a Security/Insurance Company here in Africa in order to safe myself and my assets. I told them that the two boxes are my traveling luggage, which I want to send forth to U.S.A or your country because I’m returning home, then I paid them up their custody and security fee, but I did not tell them that the boxes contain money in order to make everything secure and safe.

Thereafter I left the guy's apartment to a hotel where I am in right now and from which I am communicating with you now. Now, I'm in need of your help, have gotten the enough money to run myself when I get to the States or your country, I want to come over to your end and we can start a new life together with all the money, I don't want to live here anymore, you know I'm a foreigner here and it is absolutely danger for me here, so that is why I need your gesture assistance.

How I want you to help me? I want the boxes sent to you while I catch up with you as soon as it is been delivered to you while I come over to meet you and we can start a business with the money or if you need me to offer you percentage, then tell me. Every arrangement for the delivery is kind a perfect, I have obtained customs papers for private freight and there are seals on the box showing that it is a private delivery and check performed, it is free from customs checks, it will be delivered at your door step by the diplomats of the security company, you do not need to burn out to receive it. And the boxes have security codes lock known to me only, only me can open the boxes, except if I tell anyone the Code, so the Boxes cannot be opened on the Way of delivery to you.

I am counting on you with trust and I will appreciate your trust towards this and hoping to hear from you and to meet you in person. Let me hear you as soon as possible, so that I can give you the deposit details and the contact of the security company to arrange the shipment ASAP. And when the boxes get to you, you will send me some money for my flight bill and hotel bills so that I can meet you over there for sharing or to start a business with the money. I will wait for your response if you would be of help. Will you be of help?

Sincerely yours,
Robyn Cass.

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