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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: "MRS SAFIA F. GADDAFI" <george.o.financialcommittee@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrs_safia_gaddafi@yahoo.com.ph
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:08:38 +0100
Subject: I want to invest in your company!!!!

Dear

Greetings in the name of Allah,

I am the wife of the late Libyan President Gaddafi who was killed by rebels
on Thursday 20th Oct 2011, please my life is in big danger and I would like
to use you as my contact to move a huge sum of money and start living a
free life in your country.

I am taking refuge in Nigeria but formally i was in Algeria but we left
there out of fear that we are not safe because the Rebels can trace to any
Northern part of Africa. My three children and i can't go back to Libya
otherwise we will be killed.

We are afraid that our life could be in danger in Libya and for reasons
which i believe you know, we can not live in Nigeria. The death of my
husband was a broad day murder by the Libyan rebels. He was captured and
killed not by stray bullet as the world was made to believe. It was a bad
experience and a difficult in time for us. I want to relocate to your
country because Nigeria is not a safe place for me to start up a new life.

I have some money, Twenty One Million United States Dollars
($21,000,000.00) in my possession which i will like to invest in any
profitable business in your country. I want you to guard me through the
business i will invest in. I will reward you with 20% percent of the total
money. I will furnish you with more info as soon as I read your response
indicating your interest to partner with me.

At present I don't receive or make calls for security reason (s) as it is
being monitored by Nigerian authority and i don't want anybody to know that
i am here until i leave this country. All communication will be through
email message for security reasons.

I look forward to your prompt and positive response. Please if you are not
interested, kindly delete and do not spread this message for the safety of
my family life. Please reply only to my confidential email address: (
mrs_safia_gaddafi@yahoo.com.ph) for security reason.

Thank you,

Mrs. Safia Farkash Gaddafi

Anti-fraud resources: