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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: susan diagou <susandiagou@gmail.com>
Reply-To: avaneshia01_smith@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:57:32 +0100
Subject: From: Mrs.Susan Smith Jnr.

From: Mrs.Susan Smith Jnr.
BP 20, Abidjan, B.P.V 174
Avenue Nogues, Deux Plateau
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.


Dearest In Christ,

My greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am Mrs.
Susan Av.Smith.from Ivory Coast. I am married to Archdeaconry. Smith
Jnr. Whom until his death served as an archdeacon in the St. Michael’s
archdeaconry cathedral in Ivory Coast for nine years before his death.
We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a
brief illness that took him for a period of four days.

Before his death we were both born again Christian. Ever since he died
I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside our matrimonial home.
And when my late husband was alive he was in possession of original
document which was used in depositing the sum of Five Hundred &
Eighteen million, Seven hundred and twenty thousand USD
($518,720,000:00) with one of the famous bank in here in Côte
D'Ivoire, which was lifted to London during the War by the church
board of trustees of which my late husband was the treasurer and with
me the whole Documents.

Presently, my Doctor confirmed to me that I have serious sickness
which is calculated to be of highly concentrated kidney cancer
problem. The one that disturbs me most is my acute paralysis sickness.
Knowing my condition, I decided to donate this fund to a church or
individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct
herein. I want a church that will use this fund for orphanages,
helping the widows and the less privileges.

I took this decision because of the heightened insecurity and constant
loss of lives and properties in Cote d’Ivoire, owing to the inability
of the present administration to restore peace in the land.

As soon as I receive your reply I will give you the contact of the
Bank in London where the fund was deposited.

Any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing for another
church or individual for this same purpose.

Hoping to receive your urgent reply

Remain blessed in the Lord.
Yours Sister in Christ,

Mrs, Susan Smith.

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