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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: "Dora Botha" (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:44:49 -0700
Subject: Deposit of £5.5 Million British Pounds Sterling

Dearest one,

Compliments! I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as
we have never met before but based on what I am going through now, I
feel quite safe to deal with you in this regard though this medium
(Internet) has been greatly abused, however, I choose to reach you
through this source as it still remains the fastest medium of
Communication.

My name is Dora from Johannesburg. I am 18 years old and the only
child of my parent. My mother died five (5) years ago while my father
was murdered two (2) months ago by his step brothers who were my
uncles due to disputes on family assets and properties. My father was
the only son of his mother and his father married two wives while the
other woman has eight (8) children.

My father was the first born of the family and has a lot of
responsibilities over the family assets and properties but the step
brothers, my uncles are not happy about that and they poisoned him to
dead in other to take over the family assets/properties alone. I had
to run for my life because I know they would definitely want to kill
me out of greed just the way they killed my father.

Presently, I am in a church for shelter as I have no one to run to.
Before my father gave up the ghost, he intimated me over a fixed
deposit of £5.5 Million British Pounds Sterling fixed with his bank in
London. Please, I need your assistance to get this money transferred
to any of your provided bank account in your country for my education
and up-bringing as the money is too much for me to handle or manage
for now as I am only 18.

I want you to be my guardian so that you can personally arrange for my
trip to your country once the transfer is made to your provided bank
account. I strongly believe you will be of immense assistance to
accommodate this transaction but please you don't have to take undue
advantage of my age to betray the trust I bestow on you. Remember the
version of the bible that says, what shall it profit a man to gain the
whole world and loses his soul.

I want you to accept me like your own child and take good care of me
until I grow up to be a woman. I am willing to offer you 20% of the
fund for your role/assistance while the remaining 80% you will invest
in your country and manage on my behalf until I am old enough to
manage the investment. I would have love to speak with you on phone
but I have no access to telephone for now and my only means of
communication is through the internet.

May God touch your heart and use you to bring back happiness and joy
to my life. I shall give you more details on the way forward as soon
as I hear from you through my email address (dorabotha18@gmail.com).
Thank you for your time and may God bless you.

Yours Sincerely,

Dora Botha.

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