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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: Mira Stojanovic <mirastojanovic2015@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Mira Stojanovic <mirastojanovic001@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2015 16:25:31 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Hello Good Day

Hello Good Day

My
name is Mrs. Mira Stojanovic. I am 56 years old woman and I am legally
married to late Mr. Zoran Stojanovic. Me and my late husband where both
citizens of Serbia in Europe and we lived
here in West Africa (Ivory Coast) for the past 17 years ago. My late
husband worked with an oil drilling company as an expatriate for many
years before he died. I and my late husband were both married without a
single biological child of our own.

I
presently have a serious breast cancer sickness and I am writing this
message with the help of a medical doctor here in the hospital. When my
late husband was alive, he deposited the sum of one million
five hundreds thousands Euros (1.500.000.00 euro) in a bank here in
Africa and he signed an agreement with the bank that the funds will be
used for charity purposes
such as; helping the motherless babies, supporting church activities
and helping the non privilege children to continue their education.

I
contacted you today because my private doctor just informed me that my
breast cancer sickness has gotten worst and they are going to carry out a
serious cancer surgery on my heart by next weekend which I might not
survive, If I die during my surgery, the bank here in Africa will
embezzle the funds because I have no other relative to claim the money. I
want you to help me transfer the funds to your bank account in your
country and after the transfer to your bank account; you will collect
25% (375,000.00 euro) of the total funds for your self as compensation
and use the remaining 75% (1.125, 000.00 euro) to do the charity work in
your country. Please reply me urgently for more details…

Mrs. Mira Stojanovic

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