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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: "Nancy Santos" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <swillams45@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Jul 2013 06:36:14 -0600
Subject: A must read message for you!

Dear Friend,

I presume this letter will come to you as a surprise, but as things unfold, we will know each other better and
how I got your contact. I am MRS. NANCY SANTOS, the wife of the Managing Director and Chief Executive,
one of the leading oil company. I am very sure that you will be of a good assistance after carefully reading
my letter. For many years of marriage between me and my husband, I have not given birth to a male child,
and this has really troubled my husband.

This is as a result of so much respect attached to local Tradition Culture and Custom in there community.
And now my husband is dead in a Ghastly Auto Crash, In short to be sincere and honest with you, with the
present situation of things now, I am being threatened daily by my husband family to get me out from the
house. Before the sudden death of my beloved husband, and father of my Two daughters, my late husband
intended to establish a business in the united states of America and London with the sum of$18.5 million
united states dollars, but unfortunately he died before this proposed venture. Following his death, his family
members insisted that I am not entitled to his property (Assets and money) since I am a woman and my
offspring's all girls as I don't have a male child for my husband. Well, according to some barbaric traditional
laws here in (Africa) which doesn't permit a woman to inherit a man's property, as they are expected by
tradition to take over the management of his business and other properties including myself who
automatically becomes a wife to one of his immediate brothers.

Unfortunately to these wicked family members, the $18.5million United States dollars which my late husband
intended to use in establishing a business in the United States or London was deposited in a bank account
In Citibank of Nigeria unknown to his family. I and the lawyer are the only one aware of this money,
As soon as I get your positive response; I shall provide you with all the necessary detail for this transfer.

However, I have decided to give you $7,500,000 ($7.5M) of the total money as a reward for your sincere
assistance and the rest balance of the money will be for my investment while 5% of the money will be
mapped aside for local and international expenses as I will want to keep aglow my late husbands dream of
investing in real estate or any lucrative business that you may want us to invest the money into in your
country. Please i need your urgent assistance because my husband family are trying to take all which I and
my husband has labored for and throw me out of the house, please don't let this happen to me come and
save me out of this trouble and I will be forever be grateful to you. To be sincere and honest with you,
this money is never connected with drugs, money laundry, firearms and looting, which I believe might put
fears in you and consequently withdrawing your help for security reasons. To be able to help me,
kindly send your personal details including your Phone number for easy communication.

Thanking you for your anticipated response. Please send your reply to my private email address:

Thank you and God bless,
Regards
Nancy Santos

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