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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: "Mrs. Mary Parker" <mrs.maryparker001@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:30:03 +0200
Subject: Dear Friend


Dear Friend,

With due respect and humility am writing you this proposal letter which I
hope may be of interest to you, We seek the help of someone to share the
life we live. I am the wife of late Lawrence Parker who was murdered by the
Zimbabwean veterans.

I am probably of the view that you are aware of the present situation in my
country Zimbabwe sequel to the Land/Farm reform Act crisis in Zimbabwe.
Before the death of my husband on the 28th of March 2010, he was a
Prosperous Tobacco farmer and the Former President of the Commercial
Farmers Union in Zimbabwe.

I am writing to you together with my family presently from Johannesburg
South Africa where we have taken refugee. I got your e-mail contact from
online directory service and decided to write letter to you for your
assistance. I write to solicit for your special assistance to invest our
Family fund in your country through your assistance in view of the existing
peace in your country. Before the death of my husband and the consistent
threats to his life because of his outstanding and vocal position against
the government of President Robert Mugabe, He moved out the sum of $10.5M,
(Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars), to South Africa
since it is the nearest neighboring country and deposited it in a security
and Trust company.

Since the death of my husband, there have been threat to my life, but I
succeeded to work for my escape to South Africa as a political asylum
seeker since that was the only option left for my family. In view of this
development, our position in South Africa do not permit us to normalize
this fund for any meaningful business transaction in South Africa since we
live in South Africa on a refugee status, and the financial policy of this
country do not permit us, We are soliciting for your help as a foreign
partner. That is why I want this fund to be transferred into your nominated
bank account so that you will assist me to invest it in your country in any
meaningful business venture.

Hence, if you agree to assist us to claim and transfer these fund, we offer
you 35% of the money for your assistance, while 65% will be for my family
investment in your country through your assistance.

I want you to understand that this fund is purely a family fund/money.
Money made after years of my family investment in farming but we will
appreciate it if you will maintain a high level of confidentiality because
I and my family do not want to be traced by the agents of the ruling party
where we are staying presently. If you are interested in assisting us,
kindly contact me with above Email address so that we can discuss further
on the process to facilitate the movement of this fund, and also send to me
your Full Name/Telephone number. I need urgent and confidential response.

Best Regards,
MRS. MARY PARKER,
(For the Family)....

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