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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: "CELIANA BENSON" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <celianabenson@barid.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2015 07:46:57 -0700
Subject: URGENT/REPLY

Dear,
 
My name is Celiana Benson from Congo. I am a widow with a chronic renal insufficiency case, a kidney disease and I am presently in a refugee camp with my son here in Abidjan Cote D`Ivoire.
 
However, I want to intimate you of an urgent project assistance I need from you and if you can not handle it fully yourself, I will like you to please source a trustworthy person to receive an inherited fund from my late husband for an investment due to my ill health.
 
My late husband deposited the money with a bank here in Abidjan Cote D`Ivoire before his death while in service as a general in the Army in my home country, but before his death, he handed me over all the documents relating to the deposit in the bank and asked me to leave for Abidjan and arrange with a foreign partner to invest the money so that my child could have a better education and a good life.
 
Consequently, I and my son Mark, has come to this place and have located the bank and all modalities have been put in place to transfer this money abroad. I therefore want to use you as my late husband`s foreign associate to receive this money into your account or to whom you may recommend safe for the investment so that my son can continue his education while I am properly administered medically in your country.
 
Because of my ill health, I am mostly bedridden in the hospital on renal dialysis, this is a system of artificially doing/performing the functions of the kidneys. By this, the excess toxic waste products in my blood are washed out. So in case you write me, feel free to communicate with my son Mark. He also has the details of what I have briefed you.
 
I will like you to reply me urgently so that I can detail you accordingly concerning this project and the next step to take, please note that you will be compensated accordingly for assisting me and my son to successfully transfer this money out of this country for the investment in your country. I am willing to offer you 50% of every profit we may make from the investment as your participating commission to make sure that I and my son are relieved from this pain. Please if there is any question you want to ask me feel free to ask me so that I can answer you and direct you properly.
 
I hope to hear from you urgently if you are capable of handling this project and willing to help me and my son in this matter.
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Celiana Benson/ Mark son

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