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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. Fatima <alhmed.fatima@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: hadjia.fatima@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 12:43:32 +0400
Subject: i am waiting

Attention: The Director Gen, All my efforts to reach you directly on telephone and discuss with you in details could not work out due to war climate here in Syria. I am Fatima Alhmed the wife to Ibrahim Alhmed the director general Gulf Link oil company who died last week in Damascus Central Hospital after bullet wounds. Before the death of my husband in Damascus Central Hospital he called the attention of me and my son, he disclosed to us that he have $900.000.000 USD {Nine Hundre Million USA Dollars} in a security/financial company oversea,he intended to build refinery. he instructed me to look for an honest trustworthy and reputable person who can help us invest this money oversea until the war in Syria is over. He instructed us not to allow anybody in Syria to be aware of the money and our oversea investment. Because of security reasons. After going through your profile I decided to trust you with hope that you will never let us down. The war in Syria is getting out of hands people are dieying every minute and we have received warning that the government is planning to use chemical weapons. I have decided with all my heart to give you 20% of the total money if you can help us with all your heart to get the money out of the security company and help us to invest the money in profitable investments in your country. 10% of the money will be to settle taxes and any expenses that may occur during and after the transaction. And 70% will be for me and my son. Please we are trapped here we don't have any thing left with us, the government have bombed every where, it is hard for us to eat, there is nothing left. I am very sick and there is no hospital working only RED CROSS and there camp is full. We need to get out of here, but there is no money left whit us. We are suffering like slaves please help us before we die here and the money with the security company will be lost. I have the transaction code numbers and all the information to get the money out from the security company I have decided to trust you with my whole heart and I am counting on your trust never to let us down. Contact me as soon as you receive this letter so that I can stop further contacts.For security reasons Contact me with this e mail fatimaalhmed1@gmail.com I am waiting. Yours truly, Fatima Alhmed.

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