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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: Freddie Yao <freddie.yao31@gmx.com>
Reply-To: <freddie.yao2015@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 10:02:16 -0500
Subject: Business Proposal From Mr Freddie Yao

Good morning;

I am writing you this letter despite of the fact that we have never meet each other before in person. I am Mr Freddie Yao, I am an Ivorian national. I work as an account officer with a bank in Cote D' Ivoire. I am contacting you for a transaction which would be of a mutual benefit for both of us. I would need your assistance to the transfer of the sum of $11.000.000 which was deposited by a deceased client since the year 2012 in my bank for onward transfer to his foreign associate. Late Dr Chokri Ghanem was former adviser to late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was also an Oil Magnate, found dead in Vienna where he took refuge.

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2113528,00.html

My bank held a meeting last few days to put this money into the government treasury as non-coming beneficiary. Because ever since the death of the late man, Her associate/beneficiary has not yet presented himself for the claims of this money and we have no information or identification of his person on our data's. The reason why my bank is deciding to return this fund as non-coming beneficiary. All i require from you is to contact the International remittance dept and apply for the claims of this money to your nominated bank account while i help to use my position and push your claims for approval.

For your commission, i have set aside, 40% of the total sum as your commission and 60% will be for me. This is a secured bank deal. You must never get scared, because i am going to guide you well. Should this deal interest you please do write me quickly to enable me give you more details and guide you well how to pull this fund to your account. Thanks and may the Almighty and Merciful God guide us Well.

Yours Sincerely
Mr Freddie Yao

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