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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 Vanessa Arnaud <mrsvanessa.arnaud101012@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: Mrs Vanessa Arnaud <gkhkgkhgms450@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2016 02:07:07 +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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