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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: "Mr. Jozef Baranowski"<info@fdl.wi.gov>
Reply-To: jozefb117@onet.pl
Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2017 05:10:06 -0800
Subject: HELLO DEAR,

This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have not yet met. Firstly, I have to say that I have no intentions of causing you any pain nor trouble. My name is Mr. Jozef Baranowski, from Poland and a European merchant. I have been diagnosed with Prostate and Esophageal cancer that was discovered very late due to lack of caring for my health. It has defiled all form of medicine and right now I have only about a few months to live according to medical experts.

I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business.Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all these as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world.

I lost my wife and 3 children May 12 2010, they died when Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771, an Airbus A330, crashes on landing at Tripoli International Airport, killing 103 on board; the sole survivor is a child from the Netherlands.

I use to say to my self that if God should give me a second chance I would live differently from how I have lived. I was meditating on my hospital bed and something told me that God is giving me a second chance by keeping me alive though doctors said I won’t last long. I know my time is near, that’s why I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members as well as some few close friends.

So far, I have been able to give alms to a few charity organizations in the U.A.E, London, Sudan, Zimbabwe I gave donations to the Global Fund for Children, GCF and I met two people over the internet that have successfully distributed my funds to charity organizations in their country. Now my health is deteriorating so badly, I really need you to help me distribute the last of my fortune. I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.

You might be wondering why I did not pick my close relatives for this task, but I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money there to a charity organization in Bulgaria. They closed the account but refused to donate the money to the organization, but instead shared the money among themselves. From the way they are acting around me, something tells me they want me dead so they can split my last remaining assets and money. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be content with what I have left for them.

The last of my money which is a huge cash deposit that I have with a security firm will be put in your care if only you will agree and capable of seeing this through. I want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity organizations of your choice and let them know that it is I, Mr. Jozef Baranowski that is making this generous donation and you can also use some for yourself and your family.

I am writing this from a laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait for my time to come. I pray for you to support and assist me with a good heart. I hope we can build a relationship based on trust because I want to do this by all means possible before I die.

Stay blessed,

Mr. Jozef Baranowski
Private Email: livejb@onet.pl

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