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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: Edna Paul <ednapaul@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: Edna Paul <ednapaul@angelic.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2015 16:12:42 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: My dear



My dear,
I am Mrs. Edna Paul. I hope you are doing great.
I am here in Ivory Coast where my late husband has industrial production before his sudden death. It is sad news to say that my husband and my only child died on motor accident in 2012. Since after this incident happened, i'm not gotten myself, even i am writing this letter to you from the hospital where I admitted for cancer treatment.
Recently, following my ill health, my doctor told me that i would not last due to the cancer problem. Having known my condition i decided to donate the money my late husband deposited with a bank here to an organization or an individual outside this country that will utilize the money the way i am going to instruct herein, the sum of $5,200,000.00 Million USD.
I want this money to be used to carter for the less privilege. I took this decision because I don’t have any child that will inherit this money and before the money might get confiscated by the bank. Contact me as you read this letter today so that i will not be contacting another person for this same purpose, you may see my message as a surprise because there is no other means i can use to contact you except through this medium.
Waiting for your prompt reply.
Mrs. Edna Paul.

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