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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: Mamba <mambamawa000@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: mambamawa@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2012 10:40:11 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE PLEASE:


AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE PLEASE:
>From Miss. MAWA MAMBA
Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
                                                 
It
is a pleasure for me to request for your assistance though we do not
know each other. My name is Mawa Mamba, 20 years old; I am the only
child of late Chief and Mrs. Richard. Mamba. My father is a well known
café and cocoa merchant in our country Ivory Coast before his death.  I
prayed before contacting you and I believed that you are the rightful
person to help me out.

I need your assistance in the transfer of
my inherited money for investment ventures under your care and
directive, while I continue my education in your country after the
transfer.

I inherited Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars
(US$6,500,000.00) deposited with my name in one of the prime bank in my
country as his next of kin and I will require your assistance in
receiving the transfer of the money in your local account for investment
purposes.

It is my desire to come over to your country to
further my education while you take care of the investment of the money.
Please I am an orphan and I need your assistance to transfer my
inherited money to your country and also your assistance to secure a
nice school for me in your country, where I will continue my education.

I offer you 15% of the total sum because of the help you are going to render to me.

Please I am waiting for your immediate response through my private email: mambamawa@yahoo.com

Thanks and may God bless you.

Yours  sincerely,
Mawa Mamba


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