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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: mathew collins <mathew50collins@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2014 12:50:25 +0100
Subject: GREETINGS,

GREETINGS,

Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship
with you. I got your contact from the International web site directory. I
prayed over it and selected your name among other names due to it's
esteeming nataure and the recommendations given to me as a reputable and
trust worthy person I can do business with and by the recommendations I
must not hesitate to confide in you for this simple and sincere business.

I am Mathew Collins; the only son of late Mr and Mrs James Collins. My
father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan,the economic capital of
Ivory Coast before he was poisoned to death by his business associates on
one of their outing to discus on a business deal. When my mother died on
the 21st October 2010, my father took mae special because i am motherless.
Before the death of my father on 2th December 2013 in a private hospital
here in Abidjan. He secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he
has a sum of $12.500.000 (Twelve Million, five hundred thousand dollars)
left in a suspense account in a local Bank here in Abidjan, that he used my
name as his only son for the next of kin in deposit of the fund.

He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth and some huge
amount of money his business associates supposed to balance his from the
deal they had that he was poisoned by his business associates, that I
should seek for a God fearing foreign partner in a country of my choice
where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose, (such
as real estate management). i am honorably seeking your assistance in the
following ways.

1) To provide a Bank account where this money would be transferred to.
2) To serve as the guardian of this since I am a boy of 25 years.

Moreover i am willing to offer you 15% of the sum as compensation for
effort input after the successful transfer of this fund to your designate
account overseas.

Please feel free to contact me.
Thanks and remain blessed,
Mathew Collins

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