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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: Chantal Ibrahim <chantalibrahim01@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:12:57 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: My Dearest, i need your help,


 My Dearest, i need your help,
Please permit me to introduce myself, I am Miss Chantal Ibrahim Coulibaly 23 years old female from the Republic of Ivory Coast, West Africa, I'm the Daughter of Late Chief Ibrahim Coulibaly, My late Father was a well known Ivory Coast military leader. He died on Thursday 28 April 2011 following a fight with the Republican of Ivory Coast (FRCI).
You can read more about my father in the link below:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/28/ivory-coast-renegade-warlord-ibrahim-coulibaly
I am constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment which I am receiving from my step mother. She planned to take away all my late father's treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Father because my mother died during child birth and I was left alone with my step mother to take care of me. Meanwhile I wanted to travel to Europe, but she hide away my traveling documents. Luckily she did not discover where I kept my father's File which contained important documents like will and deposit certificate of my Father's fund which bears my name as the next of kin to inherit the money in his bank account. Now I am presently staying in the Refugee Mission Camp in Burkina Faso. I am seeking for long term relationship and investment assistance. My father of blessed memory deposited the sum of US$ 11.5 Million in Bank Of Africa here in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin.
I have contacted the Bank to clear the deposit but the Branch Manager told me that my late father place an instruction on the deposited fund that I must present a foreign trustee who will help me in investment of the fund.
However, the manager advised me to provide a trustee who will stand on my behalf for the transfer of the fund. I wanted to inform my stepmother about this deposit but I am afraid that she will not offer me anything after the release of the money because she threaten to kill me.
Therefore, I decide to seek for your help in transferring the money into your bank account while I will relocate to your country and settle down with you. As you indicate your interest to help me I will give you the account number and the contact of the bank where my late beloved father deposited the money with my name as the next of kin. It is my intention to compensate you with 30% out of the total money after the transfer for your assistance and the balance shall be my investment in any profitable venture which you will recommend to me as I have no idea about foreign investment. Please all communications should be through this email address for confidential purposes,  
Thanks in anticipation of your positive response.
Yours sincerelyMiss Chantal Ibrahim Coulibaly.

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