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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: Karen Wright <bedieesley482@yahoo.in>
Reply-To: Karen Wright <karenwright1911@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2015 12:27:36 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Hello I am Mrs Karen Wright


 

Hello I am Mrs Karen Wright
Sorry in this way to contact you because we did not know each other, I have just perceived your profile and I said to myself that you are the person whom I need.
In brief, I am called MRS. KAREN WROGHT, of Australia origin and I at the moment in Cote d’Ivoire for my health. I suffer from a grave disease which sentences me to a certain death which is the cancer of throat, and I have a 5.5 million dollars sum a donation of which I would want to make for one person of confidence and honest so that he makes good use. I am an owner of a company of export of cocoa in Cote d’Ivoire, and I lost my husband, what affected me most is I was not able to remarry until this day, we had no children, because my husband was very sick.
I would want to donate this fund before I died; because the doctor let me know that I do not have luck anymore to live for a long time with this disease which is only deteriorating from day to day. Since the advance of my state I travelled several big countries in search of definitive remedy, and I also consulted several big specialists of the cancer, but it was only improving my state and not curing me totally. I crossed all my existence to dedicate myself to my work and to amass fortunes, without opening me to the world.
I always lived in the solitude since the death of my husband. Then at the moment, I would not want to die by leaving this sum with the profile of the bank, without any justifiable beneficiary, that's why I write you in it days to announce you my work, which is to make you benefit from these funds, while being conscious that we do not know each other. I shall learn to know you and to make you a complete narrative of my life so that you understood better.
May God Almighty give you the wisdom & understanding and a good heart to assist me for the benefit of suffering children to accomplish my wishes, if you can be sympathetic and delighted to do this work, kindly reply me as soon as possible for more details,
Remain Blessed in the LordSincerelyMrs Karen Wright

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