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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: Vivian Urtun <urtunv@voila.fr>
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 19:47:51 +0000
Subject: LET ME HEAR FROM YOU

Vivian Urtun
Auditor General Office
Attn,
I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business. Though this
medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it
because it still remains the fastest medium of communication. However, this
correspondence is private, and it should be treated in strict confidence.
Firstly I will like to assure you that this transaction is 100% risk and
trouble free to both parties, In order to transfer out fifteen million two
hundred thousand dollars, (US$15.200 000 00) from our bank here, secondly
the fund for transfers of clean origin. The owner of the fund is a
foreigner, a program leader who was believed to have acquired the fund
through his secret Crude Oil deals. The deceased died with all the members
of his family in an auto accident without a WILL. Again the amount involved
is US$15,200,000.00.
I want to transfer this money into your account as the foreign beneficiary
of the fund. I know that this letter will come to you as a surprise as we
don't know ourselves before, but be sure that it is real and a genuine
business. I contact you believing that you will not let me down once the
fund goes into your account.
Let me hear from you.
Regards
Vivian
urtunv@voila.fr
urtunv@yahoo.com

Anti-fraud resources: