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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: DEBORAH LAHOURY <deblahoury@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: derbylahoury@hotmail.com
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 13:00:59 -0700
Subject: CONSIDER MY REQUEST

Greetings,
I am giving you my trust and hopefully you will be an honest person as well. I sincerely believe also that you will fulfill my final wish before my dying day.Reading this email will be a Surprise owing that you do not know me personally;
My name is Mrs Deborah Lahoury from Cote D'Ivoire with age 59 years.I have been Diagnosed of Breast Cancer few years back. From all indication my Condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I will not live beyond few weeks, because it has reached a critical stage. Natural herbs and Chemotherapy could not cure me.
I was married to my late husband for 20 years and we have a Child,Williams. My late husband and I are true believers,
committed and sincere but unfortunately he died during the presidential election in our country. After his death I had no family to go to since I was from the orphanage.
Owing to my faith and my health, re-marrying was no solution. My husband, made a deposit sum of $5.2 USD(UNITED
STATE DOLLARS) before his death here in (Ivory Coast) bank.
I am asking you to Use this money to take care of my only son whom I have cared for and protected from the wickedness
of his father's relatives. You can go further to invest the money into a very Lucrative business of your discretion that
will yield proceeds which will be distributed each year among charity ,the poor, Orphanage homes and widows with
your environment and beyond.
I had to take a bold step considering the safe-keeping of my son and also touching the lives of others through any means of your desired ventures. It was a very hard decision for me to make as well sourcing a trust worthy person over the internet.
Expecting to hear from you with great anticipation.May God bless you.
Your sick sister
Mrs Deborah Lahoury


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