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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: "Madam Zinab" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <madamzinab@gmx.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 22:16:35 -0400
Subject: Madam Zinab

Dear Friend,

I hope my maill will fine you and your family in good health. My name is Zinab Hassan, i know it will be a big surprise

for you to receive my email because email like these fly over the internet telling people about funds and every other

things. but my self always receives offer from the internet which i normally delete because i believe it will be scam

letter but please i beg you and i swear to the Allah i worship that what am telling you is not a joke or a scam, if you

follow everything i have said in my letter both of us will be happy for the rest of our life.

Am from Libya and my husband is one of the late Gaddafi sons driver. it was my husband who took Gaddafi family to Niger

and Algeria when they ran from Libya. but hecame back to Libya and died when their convoy was hit by NATO bomb. but he

told me something very important when he was alive. he told me how he took some money from
Gaddafi son and kept it in a secret place.

he said the money is in Us Dollars 8.6 million Us Dollars and all kept in a big suitcase kept in a secret hide out. and

also 67 kilos of gold which he kept somewhere else. I will want to give you information about all what am saying because

seeing is believing. i am presently out of Libya because we ran out during the war.why am written you is because i want

you to take ownership of the funds and gold which my husband kept because if people knows that it belongs to my late

husband they will size it and report to the Libyan government. my husband fight and died for his master so please i have

to keep everything secret until i hear from you. and please all what am saying is just known by the both of us and nobody

else.

i have 4 children for my husband and nothing to feed them here until i can get hold of what i just told you but i still

have to be very carefully not to lose the money or the gold. i will share the money and the gold with you if you will

assist me.just for you to claim ownership of the money and the gold i will give you half of the money and half of the gold

when it is under your control. i will tell you how you can receive the money and the gold when i hear from you. also every

other details will be given when i see your seriousness to help us receive the both items. please

send me your direct details and phone number so we can talk. my first son speak English very well. please reply with your

information.

i also want you to know that the money and the gold are not in Libya both of them are kept in different countries. i will

let you know the countries as soon as i hear from you.

i will wait for your reply

Madam Zinab

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