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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: "Alice" <alizeballo@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 02:13:40 +0200
Subject: HELLO

Good day to You:
I hope you are going well.
Thank you in advance for reading this. My name is Alice Ballo; I’m 22yrs
from Ivory Coast (COTE-D’IVOIRE). The purpose of this letter is to solicit
your kind assistance. In fact, I intended to put you in contact with a bank
in Ghana as my tutor or guardian, etc. So that, you could help me retrieve
some fund from the bank to your country, and thereafter help me come to your
country legally to continue my education. The fund is $4 Million; it was
kept in the bank in Ghana by my late father during the post electoral crisis
that caused the war in our country in 2011. So, I would like to know if you
could honestly help me to retrieve the fund to your country and likewise
help out into your country.
My father was shot by the rebels in April 2011 during the brief civil war in
our country; he died in the hospital few days later. He was a member of the
erstwhile government that was toppled as a result of the war. Since my
father died I stopped school because, my stepmother and my father’s
relatives have refused to pay my school fees; instead they are fighting over
my father’s properties. Indeed everything about the family changed
following the death of my father. So, having spent two years doing nothing,
last month I made up my mind to retrieve the fund and leave COTE-D’IVOIRE,
so I could continue my education in peace. I contacted the bank and they
confirmed the existence of the fund having verified the information I gave
them. But, they insisted that they cannot treat my application regarding
the fund until an elderly relative or my tutor attest for me. Actually,
they have requested lots of things; but, most importantly that I present my
tutor/guardian to attest for me as witness.
Truthfully, I don’t have any reliable family members here to help me. And
there is so much insecurity, ethnic strife, divisions and mistrust in our
country since after the civil war. This is why I have come to seek your
help. I intended to put you in contact with the bank as my tutor, so you
could ask the bank for the transfer of the fund to your country. And
thereafter help me come to your country legally so I could continue my
education in peace. And while I pursue my education, you will help me to
manage the fund.
So if you can help me or if it is possible for you to help me, then I will
put you in contact with the bank and you discuss with them as my tutor.
Please, help me if you can, and I promise that your help will not be in
vain. You will equally have some part of the fund first for your help. I
will send to you all information when I receive your response.
Faithfully,
Ms Alice Ballo
aliceballo@windfall.ca

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