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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 Julia Zhang" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <juliazhanghk@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2018 16:58:00 -0700
Subject: Regarding family project.

Good day to you,

I am Mrs. Julia Zhang, the wife of late Mr Moses Zhang. I have suffered maltreatment and untold hardship in the hands of my late husband's family, since the death of my husband with my son and daughter in a car crash. By tradition, all that my late husband had, [wealth] belongs to his brothers/family. And myself is to be remarried by his immediate younger brother which I vehemently refused. They have taken all that I suffered with my husband to acquire including treasures, houses and his bank particulars seized by them.

I have suffered cancer of the esophagus for almost 7 yrs now, my health is very bad and the doctor said i have a few weeks to live. My late husband rented a vault and deposit boxes valued at $5m with a Security company . It has therefore, become very necessary and urgent to contact someone, a foreigner like you to help me receive/secure these funds overseas in a reliable bank Account (presumably an empty Bank Account, if available) and to use this money to help the needy .


Stay blessed.
Mrs. Julia Zhang

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