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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: Maria Isabel <chibuzo.ezeonye@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2016 09:48:21 +0000
Subject: Good day my dear.




Good day my dear.
How are you doing, I hope you are doing well.

I am sorry to contact you through this medium without your consent or prior notice. I know that this mail will come to you as a surprise as we have never meet before, but you need not to worry as I am using the only secured and confidential medium available to seek for your foreign assistance in a business I want to engage with you, however, despite the fact that we do not know our self before.

After a brief search on the web for a reasonable and honest person, I decided to contact you for an urgent business transaction we can do together as one family which might be favorable to both of us in future.

My name is Mrs. Maria Isabel, I'm a Medical Doctor, and presently I am serving under United Nation in Syria refugee camp by Iraq borders.

I am here mainly to negotiate with you on a possibility of transferring a certain amount of money which in US Dollar. And I also want to negotiate with you the possibility of investing on a good profiting business in your country with your help and also.

Please I come to you with sincerity, genuineness of heart and legitimacy.
I will give you more details/reasons of the money and my intentions as soon as I receive your positive response including your names and direct mobile phone number for easy communication.

Thanks and remain Blessed.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Yours Sincerely
Mrs. Maria Isabel

Anti-fraud resources: