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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. REUVEN PIRRO" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrreuvenpirro1@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 20:40:53 +0100
Subject: Urgent Assistance Needed

Dear Friend,
 
Greetings to you and please permit me to introduce myself. I am MR. REUVEN
PIRRO an Israeli National and a Crude Oil Merchant before I was diagnosed
with esophageal cancer which has defied all medical solutions and according
to medical experts I only have a few more months to live.
 
As you read this you do not have to feel sorry for me as it is a universal
truth that we all must die someday, the only problem with me, though being
that I have particularly not lived my life well in spite of my wealth and
possessions as I never really cared for anyone (not even myself) but my
business. I was very rich but never generous, I was never caring about
people but only dedicated my time and resources on my business as that was
the only thing I cared about. But now I regret all this as I now know that
there is more to life than just accumulating all the wealth in this world as
I lay helplessly on my sick bed. If I am given a second chance to live
again, I sure would live my life a different way from the way I have lived
it owing to what has befallen me now. As my last days alive are drawing
closer and closer I have already willed out most of my properties and assets
to my immediate and extended family members as well as a few close friends.
 
I also want my soul to be at peace with God and for Him to be merciful on me
and accept my soul and to this regard I have resolved to give my remaining
funds to charity organizations as I want this to stand as one of the last
deeds I indulge in on earth before I die. Though I have already distributed
money to some charitable homes. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly
that I can no longer continue with this myself and also I do not trust my
immediate family members or close friends on this as I have once asked them
to close one of my accounts and distribute the funds therein to charity
organizations in Bulgaria, Sri-Lanka India and Pakistan they greedily kept
the money to themselves. Hence I am contacting you with this as I have lost
confidence in them because it is obvious that they are not contented with
what I have left for them. The last of my funds which no one knows of is a
cash deposit of Nine Million U.S Dollars ($9,000,000,00) stashed in a trunk
box and declared as Personal effects of high
 
Please contact me as soon as you get this email if you are capable and
sincere to handle this transaction on my behalf so I can forward you with
all relevant documents necessary for the claims and the name of the security
firm where the funds are deposited. God bless you as I await words from you.
Please inform me as soon as possible if you are not interested so I can
proceed to seek for someone else to carry out this on my behalf. Find
attached pictures of me along with this email for your perusal. Please
respond to me on this email address if you are willing to assist me,
mrreuvenpirro1@aol.com
 
Yours Sincerely,
Reuven Pirro

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