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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: chealse ezekiel <ch4u200010@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: chealse_ezekiel1@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:29:41 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Dearest




Dearest,
 
I have decided to use this means to contact you, seeing no other means could have been faster to reach you other than through e-mail. I am Miss Chealse Ezekiel, the only child of Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Ezekiel from Cote d'Ivoire. My father was a business merchant who dealt on cocoa, gold and diamond but unfortunately died in this recent civil war outbreak here in Cote d'Ivoire, 2011, after a presidential election which saw the two candidates (Alassane Ouatara and Laurent Gbagbo) declare themselves president's after the election.


He was a victim of the rebel's attack in his office. Before his final breath in the hospital, he disclosed to me in confidence of the sum of $4.5 Million (Four million five hundred thousand US Dollars) he deposited in a security company here in Cote d'Ivoire.
 
Presently, this fund is being secured in the custody of the security company. I am contacting you for your sincere assistance to retrieve this fund on my behalf and invest it properly in your country. After that I will now come over to be with you, continue my education while you invest the fund in any lucrative business of our choice.
 
For your sincere efforts and assistance in helping me, I have resolved to give you 10% of the total fund. You will also benefit in any investment established with my own part of the fund.
 
As soon as I receive your reply I will give you further information vital for this transaction such as the contact of the security company.
 
Any delay in your reply will give me room to source for another person for this same purpose.
 
Hoping to receive your reply, remain blessed in the Lord.
 
Yours faithfully,
Miss Chealse Ezekiel

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