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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. JAck PHILLIPS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jack.phillips001@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2014 21:27:13 -0500
Subject: Dearest Your Response Is Needed.

Dearest,
 
 
I would like to share with you my problems. i was married for 2 years
but now divorced without kids. I have had a lot of bad experience in
my previous relationships, and i do not want to fall into the same
problem anymore, because i have been used and suffered lots of
emotional torture from my ex and i will not want to be used or played
games with again in my life.
 
I've been divorced for 2 years now, I was adopted by my father and at
that time he had no woman staying with him. I loved him so much that
he gave me a good life. The sad part of it is that he passed away
about 3 years ago after a kidney problem. Im the only Son, the only
kid of my family. We used to live in a big house. My dad is a native
American. Its so sad when ever i think and come to conclusion that the
world is a cruel one, taking the good ones away, leaving the bad ones
behind to live on which makes the world goes more cruel and hard on
people, this has dawn on me as i have experienced lots of cruel things
i never thought of sometimes i feel like the world should crash on me,
looking back and thoughts about my status as an orphan i need someone
to fill my heart with love, someone to make me feel glad, taking me
out of my worries, giving me love, someone to stand by me like a
father and mother, someone so loving and caring to get me out of my
worries so i don't feel neglect.
 
My Wife, Rose played games on me lots and treated me so bad in our
marriage. She absconded with my dad's money which was kept with me
after a completion of a contract in EAST Cisterna Di Roma, Lazio,
Italy. When wife got absconded with the undisclosed sum of US dollars,
this brought the first broke up between me and my dad, because he
thought we had the deal together, but not knowing that Im innocent
about this.
 
So my dad has been harsh and tough on me about this. After all these
happened to me and caused by my Ex Wife, I met an African Lady online
there who promised heaven and earth that she wants to marry me and
make me happy in life; "I never knew I was going to have my greatest
night mare. She made use of the advantage knowing that i am lonely and
i needed to someone so close to make me happy in life as my dad the
only one i had is dead. The African lady told me of investment
opportunities in Africa and she convinced me to come along with lots
of money while coming down, which I did. On getting here, all her
intention was to take away the money from me, play me and leave me
alone.
 
I came from the states with all the money i realized from my Dad's
business and contracts remuneration of forty five million USD, because
the African lady told me of an idea to investment in African
Sculptures which i feel its a good investment. When i got here, she
tried all possible means to get the money from me and get away with my
money. When i noticed this, i took the money and my traveling boxes
and deposited it with a Security/Insurance Company here in Africa in
order to save myself and my assets. Thereafter i left the lady's
apartment to a hotel where i stay at the moment and communicating with
you now.
 
I am right here in Nigeria, Africa fed up of life and even thinking of
committing suicide but i guess i should hold on till I find someone
that will help me. I understand that this internet stuff is hard to
believe because of what people do with it nowadays as i fell into this
mess, thats why I am in the condition I am in today.I, will appreciate
your help. I really want to get out of here and come back to the
states. I really need your trust and help to get me out of this
trouble i am into and i promise i will not get you disappointed.
 
I will really appreciate your help towards this. Once i get there, i
will really appreciate it, and i want to believe that you will not let
me down. As Ive discussed what brought me here from the states. While
i was coming here, the African Lady told me to come with enough money
for investment and i even went to the extent to sell my inherited
house just because i want to leave the states and make my self happy
thinking i had finally found the Woman i have been waiting for all my
life.
 
Thereafter, i left the lady's apartment to a hotel where i am in right
now and from which i am writing to you now. Now, Im in need of your
help, have gotten the enough money to run myself when i get to the
states, i don't want to live here anymore, you know Im a foreigner
here and it is absolute danger for me here, so that is why i need your
kind assistance.
 
How i want you to help me? I have the money hidden from the Lady here
in West Africa and I've left her apartment, because i might get setup
if i did not act fast, so for me to be more safe and secure, i put
this money in a trunk box and got it locked up with a security code
known to me only, and i deposited the box with some of my traveling
luggages with a Security and Insurance Company who render private
diplomatic delivery service and i told them that the box is my
traveling luggage, which i want to send forth to the states because Im
returning home, then i paid them up their custody and security fee,
but i did not tell them that the box contains money in order to make
everything secure and safe. I want the box sent to you while i catch
up with you as soon as it is been delivered to you then i come over to
meet you.
 
Every arrangement for the delivery is kind perfect, I have obtained
customs papers for private freight and there are seals on the box
showing that it is a private delivery and check performed, it is free
from customs checks, it will be delivered at your door step by the
diplomats of the security company, you do not need to burn out to
receive it.
 
The box has security lock code known to me only, only me can open the
box, except if i tell anyone the Code, so the box cannot be opened on
the way for delivery to you. Therefore, i want you to contact me as
soon as possible, so that i can give you all my deposit details and
information for you to make the Clearance from the Security Company as
my friend who is to receive my box for me there so they can be rest
assured that the box is safe for delivery since my Friend would be
receiving them for me .And once the box gets to you, I will let you
know the lock codes to open the box and the instructions, then you can
open the box in order to have some money sent to me for my flight to
the states.
 
Once i get there, we shall invest the money together, provided you
will not disappoint or neither take advantage of me. I hereby promise
15% of the total fund for you to meet any personal needs and i can get
something done with the balance. I am counting on you with trust and i
will appreciate your trust towards this and hoping to hear from you
and to meet you in person. Let me hear from you as soon as possible,
so that i can give you the deposit details and the contact of the
security company to arrange the shipment ASAP.
 
Promise to help me on this so that i can come back to the state as
soon as you help me get my money to you...
 
Hope to read from you with you helping hand...
 
 
Mr. JAck PHILLIPS

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