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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: Mrs Lilian Paul <lilian02paul010@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:56:33 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Name Lilian Paul,


P {
MARGIN: 0px
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UL {
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OL {
MARGIN-TOP: 5px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5px
}
Name Lilian Paul,

My name is Mrs Lilian Paul i married to late Mr.Toni
Paul I am contacting you to let you know my desire to Donate sum US$: 3.500.000
(Three Million Five hundred thousand US Dollars) for charity foundation in your
country which I inherited from my late husband .It is my desire to see that this
money is invested to any organization of your choice in your country and
distributed each year among the charity organizations, motherless baby’s home,
mosques, churches, Schools, supporting destitute aged men and women or whatever
you may have in mind that will be to the benefit of the less fortunate.



I took this decision because I was raised from a motherless baby’s
home and presently, I'm hospitalized here in (Cotonou) where I am undergoing
treatment for my up coming breast cancer surgery operation. I don't want this
fund to be invested in ungodly way.As soon as I receive your response confirming
your acceptance to work as i instructed , I will give you all the relevant
information that will authorize the release and transfer of the money to you as
my duly assigned representative.

Yours Sister,
Lilian Paul


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