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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: Mark Gyan <markgyan1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Mark Gyan <marrkgyan1@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2015 04:10:01 +0900 (JST)
Subject: REPLY FAST PLEASE!


HELLO,
ACTUALLY WE HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE BUT I HAVE THE COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU FOR THIS TRANSACTION.
MY NAME IS MARK GYAN, I AND MY MOTHER INHERITED SOME MONEY FROM MY LATE FATHER WHO WAS KILLED DURING THE RECENT POLITICAL CRISIS IN MY COUNTRY.
THE AMOUNT IS $12.6 MILLION (TWELVE MILLION, SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND AMERICAN DOLLARS) THE MONEY IS IN IA BANK HERE IN ABIDJAN.
MY MOTHER IS VERY SICK NOW AT THE HOSPITAL AND SHE IS SUFFERING FROM LEUKEMIA. HER CONDITION IS VERY BAD AT THE MOMENT, I AND MY MOTHER CANNOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE FUND BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS DEPOSITED, IT WAS MEANT TO TRANSFER ABROAD.
MY FATHER TOLD
THE BANK THAT HE WILL INTRODUCE HIS PARTNER WHO WILL PROVIDE DETAILS OF BANK ACCOUNT FOR THE TRANSFER BEFORE MY FATHER WAS KILLED.
THAT IS WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU, TO REPRESENT
MY LATE FATHER'S FOREIGN PARTNER AND APPLY FOR THE RELEASE OF THE FUND AND PROVIDE YOUR ACCOUNT SO THE FUND CAN BE TRANSFERRED.
WE HAVE AGREED TO GIVE YOU 20% OF THE TOTAL FUND AFTER TRANSFER.
PLEASE GET BACK TO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
THANKS AND BEST REGARDS,
MARK GYAN.

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