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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: "Edward Maxwell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <edwardmaxwell196@live.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 21:30:19 -0700
Subject: Accept In Good Faith


Hello ,

How are you today,i hope you are fine?I am Edward Maxwell the son of the late
Minister of Tourism in Liberia,i am 19 years of age and i am presently at the
refugee camp in Ghana,i am contacting you in respect of my two consignment boxes
which is already in your country with the diplomat,my foreign beneficiary who
was suppose to receive the consignment boxes and invest it for me was so greedy
asking for 75% which we agreed on 25% before the boxes left Ghana for your country.

I had to put a stop to the delivery of the boxes to him,please i am contacting
you to help me receive my consignment boxes because i have mapped out 35% for you.

I want to inform you that the diplomat has been there for good five days now
waiting to hear from my foreign beneficiary to carry out the delivery to and the
content of my two consignment boxes is Money $25,000.000.00 ( Twenty Five
Million United States Dollars ) which is meant to be invested in a profitable
business in your country.

I want you to know that the diplomat does not know the true content of the
boxes is containing money so please when contacting him for the delivery to you
don't tell him about the content.

I want you to know also that i have paid for the delivery charges which is
$8500 ( Eight Thousand Five Hundred United State Dollars ) all you have to do is
contact the diplomat.Please help me by receiving the boxes,for as soon as you
receive them i will be coming over to join you,so we can start the investment
together and i will start living a good life again.

Please get back to me so that i can give you the contact of the diplomat so
you can contact him for him to carry out the delivery to you and please remember
to send me your house address and phone number .

Best Regards,
Edward Maxwell .



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