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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.FATIMA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alhmedfatima@qq.com>
Date: Sun, 22 May 2016 22:32:58 -0700
Subject: I AM WAITING

Dear sir,
All my efforts to reach you directly on telephone and discuss with you in details could not work out due to
war climate here in Syria. I am Fatima Alhmed the wife to Ibrahim Alhmed the director general Gulf Link oil
company who died in Damascus Central Hospital after bullet wounds. Before the painful death of my husband
in Damascus Central Hospital he called the attention of me and my children, he disclosed to us that he have
some investment in a security/financial company oversea, he intended to build refinery. He instructed me to
look for an honest trustworthy and reputable person in your country who can help us invest this money
oversea until the war in Syria is over. He instructed us not to allow anybody in Syria to be aware of the
money and our oversea investment because of security reasons. The war in Syria is getting out of hands
people are dying every minute and we have received warning that the government is planning to use strong
bomb weapons. Please we are trapped here we don't have anything left with us, the war have bombed
everywhere, it is hard for us to eat, there is nothing left. I am very sick and there is no hospital working only
RED CROSS and there camp is full. We need to get out of here, but there is no money left whit us. We are
suffering like slaves please help us before we all die here and the money with the security company will be l
ost. I have the transaction code numbers and all the information needed to get the money out from the
security company I am counting on your trust never to let us down. Contact me as soon as you receive this
letter so that I can stop further contacts we are suffering like slave please help us. We are not terrorist we
are from good and respecful family.
I am waiting.

Fatima Alhmed.

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