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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: Mrs Vanessa Arnaud <mrsvanessa.arnaud101012@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: Mrs Vanessa Arnaud <gkhkgkhgms450@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 19:30:20 +0900 (JST)
Subject: MESSAGE FROM MRS VANESSA ARNAUD


Hello
Dear Friend,
 
Having
viewed your statue on-line which motivated me that you can be a trusted person,
I am contacting you in respect to my late husband’s  fund worth US$ 28 Million deposited with
FOREIGN BANK OVERSEA, for safe keeping purposes. But right now my husband is
dead and the financial firm has been giving me several notifications to make
the claim of the said deposit.
 
I want a
situation whereby I will present you as my Executor to the bank so that you
assist me to make the claim of this fund from the financial firm so that it
will be transferred to your custody pending my arrival with my only daughter to
your country so that we can use it judiciously for investment purposes.
 
My only
daughter will continue her education in your country upon our arrival once
every arrangement as regards this transaction is concluded. I will be offering
you 30% of the fund for your foreign assistance as long as you can help me out
in carrying out this project effectively without insinuating greed and
selfishness. I am contacting you in this respect for the below purposes,
 
1, To
avoid awareness of my late husbands relatives because they would like to
inherit it alone if I dare disclose it to them because they said that I do not
have a male child for my late husband without considering the welfare of me and
my only daughter.
 
2, To
avoid awareness of Cote d’Ivoire Republic Government about the fund since my
husband was a former politician in Cote d’Ivoire, Once I receive your positive
response. I will give you more details and the documents of the fund deposit
for your confirmation to enable us proceed.
 
Yours
sincerely
Mrs
Vanessa Arnaud  

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