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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: Mrs Belen Watson <belendrilon@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 8 Jun 2014 00:08:03 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Charity Donation

My Beloved,

Compliments of the day to you! By this e-mail, I do sincerely apologize for my intrusion of your privacy. However, I have something serious with great concern to share with you. I believe you can be of help to advise and handle this issue,in this reason I decided to contact you with good faith that you will handle this issue sincerely. I am Mrs. Belen Drilon Watson, I'm married to Mr. Drilon Watson. I decided to contact you to let you know my desire to establish a charity foundation with some valuable amount of fund that will be sufficient to build a charity foudation and distribute welafre items to less privilege people within your community. I inherited the funds from my late husband (Mr. Drilon Watson) and I want to will the fund to charity because of our affection for charity welfare. The Financial Institution responsible for the deposited fund will load the money into an Atm/Visa card under a confidential arrangement for success delivery of the
ATM/Visa card to your residential address, office or Organization. It is my desire to see that this money is invested to any charity organization of your choice within your community to help distribute welfare items to charity Organizations, motherless baby’s home, mosques, churches, Schools and also support destitute aged men and women. You can invest part of the charity funds into a reliable venture or whatever you may have in mind that will be to the benefit of the less people. I took this decision because I was raised from a motherless baby home and presently, I'm hospitalized here in london, UK where I am undergoing treatment for my up coming throat cancer surgery operation. I will be waiting for your reply to confirm your acceptance to this proposition so that I will give you all the relevant information for the bank to authorize for the release and transfer the fund to you as my assigned representative for the charity project.
Please help to pray for my health and quick recovery always!
I look forward hearing from you urgently
Warm regards,

Mrs. Belen Drilon Watson.

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