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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: Sara David <sara_david20@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: Sara David <sara_david2288@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 09:36:07 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Dear Lovely One,


Dear Lovely One,
 
I
am writing to seek your partnership in the investment of my inheritance
fund USD$7.5M from my late father who died mysteriously last year:. It
was very evident that he was poisoned to death. In my culture, when a
man dies, if he does not have a male child, the brothers shares his
property leaving both the wife and the daughters empty handed including
the house they live in. This is the exact case with me as I am the only
daughter of my father. I lost my mother when I was barely a year old and
my father refused to re-marry another wife because he felt solely
responsible for my mother's death.

This is so because he
concentrated much on his businesses that he rarely pays attention to
domestic affairs. He was always
travelling taking care of his businesses that he did not notice when my
mother took ill. He thought it was a minor illness and was ignorant of
this. My mother on her own resorted to self-medication. It was not until
the illness degenerated that my father took my mother to hospital where
she was diagnosed to find out that hypatitis had eaten deep into her
blood stream. She didn't last long before she died. This happened when I
was barely a year old. Based on this, my father could not forgive
himself easily because of it and said he was responsible for her death
as he could have saved her if only he had paid attention to the things
at home rather than concentrating much on his businesses.
 
Despite
all entreaties by friends and relatives, he refused to remarry but
ensured that I had everything that I wanted. It was as a result of this
that he made me the next of kin to his fund deposit with the bank and
stated that in the event of any
eventuality, I should have a direct access to the fund only when I am
24 years of age otherwise, I should have a guardian/partner intercede on
my behalf for the release of the funds to me.
Unfortunately, he died
late last year and I am 21 years of age currently. This is why I have
contacted you to serve as a guardian to me and as my foreign partner for
the investment of the fund overseas My uncles does not know about the
fund because they had already taken my father's houses and other
properties because I am a girl and they said I do not have rights for
any property. They have requested to have
my father's bank papers but I simply told them that I do not know where he kept them.

The
younger brother took the house in the village while the houses in the
town were sold out they shared the proceed they got from the sale. Right
now, I am with a friend of mine and do sincerely want to travel out of
my country. This can only happen when I have
secured the release and transfer of the funds in the bank. This why it
is important that we have a plan on the type of lucrative business that
we can invest the funds on.
 
I had at various times had
discussions with the director of international remittance unit of the
bank where my father deposited the funds and I was assured that once, I
have someone who would be willing to receive the funds on my behalf,
they shall commence all proceedings to effect the release and transfer
of the funds into the person's designated account. Now, that you have
signified your interest to partner with me,
it would only be very
necessary if you contact the bank and request for the release and
transfer of my inheritance fund into your nominated account for the
purpose of investment and to further have me come over to your country
to continue with my studies.
 
I shall be giving you the bank's contact details as soon as I hear from you so that you
will go ahead and contact the bank.
 
Talk to you the more.
 
Sara David

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