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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: Sonia Lotfi <sonialofti@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:46:39 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Dearest one


Dearest one
 
I do not know how you will understand my mail because we do not know each other before. I am writing you this letter with courage and fear within me because of the bad world today. I am Sonia Lotfi,  I am of Tunisia nationality. I am a young woman of 24 yrs old. I am in the search for a person able to love me and live with me. Really a relationship based on respect and mutual confidence also honest and fear of God because of what am facing now.I am an independent woman and i am very tender.I have learnt to believe in myself and in nobody else, to face the future with pride to prove the best i can.I wanted a person with a big heart ready to take decisions for me.

My father is Mr. Lakhal Lotfi and my Father recently died after the death of my Mother and brother Jamel on air crashed. My Father put all his thinking for their death and had heart attack. It was the crisis in my family today that keeps me in a difficult condition today. My late Father is recently one of the personal Aid to Prime Minister Tariq Aziz. Because of the crisis in my life today, all my joy has gone. I have lost my parents. Now, if you will assure me that you are going to help me to see that €3.5 million (Three million five hundred thousand Euros) which I inherited from my late father will be safe in your hand, please let me now. Because I have decided to take the decision to contact you so that you will receive this fund on my behalf to invest the fund in good ventures while I will stay with you to finish my degree to have more knowledge on marketing and business management.

Thanks and may God guide us waiting for your reply.

Yours sincerely,
Miss. Miss Lotfi.


Anti-fraud resources: