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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: Mrs.Zainab<pbazzle@suddenlink.net>
Reply-To: zainabahmedmah@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2015 02:08:31 -0700
Subject: Urgent!!!!


Dear Loved one I am sick with breast cancer,I am Mrs. Zainab Ahmed Mahmod.=
writing you now from the hospital here in London according to how my spiri=
t directed me to contact you, I want to confide in you my secret before dea=
th comes few months from now, I want to tell you where all my wealth/riches=
are both in the Bank. I have =8020,000,000 million Euros for you to Manage=
r them according to my WILL, because my husband is dead and I have no child=
ren of my own. and my doctor have confirmed that I have few days to live on=
earth now. Pls pray for me. Kindly get back to me urgently with your full =
names/address and your Telephone number to discuss with you. Please I will =
want you to use this money to help the Poor, the Motherless Children, the R=
efugees From Syrian, Iraqi that are in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and other pl=
aces because of war that is going on there now,however I will want you to h=
elp the refugees from Ukraine because war going there also, I will want you=
to use part of the money to help the Widows and Older Women, and the cance=
r Victims that many of them are now in the hospital, please all these peopl=
e mentioned above you must use the money that I am sending to you to help t=
hem. I will direct my Lawyer to tell you where the money is and how you can=
receive it for this project. Mrs.Zainab Ahmed Mahmod

Anti-fraud resources: