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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: "Mrs.Ruth merckle" <mrs.ruthmerckle@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2015 18:01:15 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: COMPLIMENTS DEAR.


  Greeting to you,

I’m a German business woman dealing with gold exportation in Burkina Faso and my husband is now late who started the business with me Dr. Adolf Merckle aged 74 years old,who committed suicide on January 5th 2009 after his business empire ran into trouble in the global economic financial crises.Please refer to the news website below to read more about my late husband.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7814257.stm

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer disease which doctors have confirmed that i have just few days to leave, Now that I’m ending the race like this, I have decided to hand over the sum of (US$ 2.5,000.00(Two million Five hundred thousand dollars) that I have in my account to you for the help of orphanage home that will be name after my name / the needy once in your location to fulfill my wish on earth. You may be wondering why I chose you. But someone lucky has to be chosen according the revelation I had after my prayers today.

But before handing over my data’s to you, kindly assure me that you will take only 40% of the money and share the rest to orphanage homes/the needy once, response quickly to enable me forward the bank contact details and my valid International passport to the bank now that I have access to internet before it will be too late as the bank is aware of my decision over the fund and awaiting for whom I will instruct to contact them forward a scanned copy of my valid international passport for their confirmation, Note that it will only cost you for change of ownership according to the bank, and please don’t be discouraged about the change of ownership because at this stage if no one apply for the money it will go to bank treasury when I’m gone and they will not use it to help the needy once to fulfill my wish,

Remain Bless
Mrs.Ruth Merckle

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