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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: Erik Dobratz <dick_json@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Erik Dobratz <erid1965@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2014 02:47:18 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Greetings


Hi Greetings

Good day to you. I am Dr. Erik Dobratz, a Consultant and Language Interpreter here in Madrid, Spain.  I have a confidential business proposal I want to share with you in confidence, which I believe will benefit both of us. I got your contact information from the international brochure and I decided to contact you on this business based on that you bear the same Surname with our late client, who deposited the sum of US$22,000,000,00. (Twenty-Two Million United States of America Dollars) in a Bank Vault here in Spain, before he died on the 24th of March 2004 along with his wife and two children in a Motor Accident along Barcelona express way here in Spain.

At this moment you should understand that this should be kept very confidential, let it be between me and you only. This is the only way we can achieve success. When responding to my Letter I need your telephone number where I can communicate with you easily and more confidentially. I will call you when i saw yours: this is my private email::::::   erid1965@yahoo.com  ::::::::::  Thank you and I urgently look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely
Dr. Erik Dobratz

Anti-fraud resources: