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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: "Mr. Mack Whistler" (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 11:08:08 -0700
Subject: ALERT INFO AND URGENTLY REPLY NEEDED

Greetings my friend,

I’m Mr. Mack Whistler, I write to seek your services in a private and confidential matter regarding an unclaimed fund in our bank here in Accra Ghana, during the last year closing of business year records. As a Regional Manager in this Bank, I discovered funds deposited. This secret has been pending when I shall get a reliable person, this requires a private arrangement. Could you perhaps be able to receive these funds under legal claims then I will file you in. I will appreciate for fewer questions asked and your participation will be 40% of the total money. There are practically no risks involved, the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law, it will be simply a bank-to-bank transfer. I have all the details and will file you in if you are really willing. Your major role would be to provide an existing account or open a new bank account where the funds will be transferred and stand as the next of kin to the original depositor of this fund i

At this juncture, I wish to tell you what prompted me to package this deal. I have a 9yrs old daughter who has leukemia, a disease of the blood, and she needs a bone marrow transplant or she will die. I want this transplanting to be done in any good children's hospital in your Country, if there is one. Once this fund is transferred into your account, I shall resign from my job and bring my family to start a new life in your country. The funds in question are quite large, seven million four hundred thousand United States Dollars ($7,400,000.00). I will expect a straight answer from you. If yes, please get back to me so that we can work out the modalities without further delay. Reply to my private email address mackwhistla@gmail.com

Best regards,
>From Mr. Mack Whistler

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