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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 Powells" <juliapowells24@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Apr 2023 07:31:41 -0700
Subject: Please hear me out

It is understandable that you may be a bit apprehensive because you do
not know me, I am writing this mail to you with serious tears in my
eyes and great sorrow in my heart, I decided to contact you due to the
urgency of my situation. My Name is Mrs. Julia Powells, Am
contacting you from my country France. I want to tell you this because
I don't have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to
open up to you, I am married to Late Dr. Louis Powells who worked with
France Embassy in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso for
nine years before he died in 2011. We were married for eleven
years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for
only five days. Since his death I decided not to remarry again, when
my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$10,900,000.00(Ten
Million Nine Hundred thousand United States Dollars) with a bank in
Ouagadougou,

Presently this money is still in the bank there. He made this money
available for exportation of Gold from Burkina mining. Recently, My
Doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven months
due to a cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke
sickness. Having known my condition I decided to hand you over this
mission to take care of the less-privileged, you will utilize this
money the way I am going to instruct herein. I want you to take 30
Percent of the total money for your personal use While 70% of the
money will go to charity work" helping people in the street.

Because I grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family
member, just to Endeavor that the house of God is maintained. Am doing
this so that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul because this
sickness has suffered me so much. As soon as I receive your reply I
shall give you the contact of the bank in Burkina Faso and I will also
instruct my lawyer to issue you an authority letter that will prove
you the present beneficiary of the money in the bank that's if you
assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein. Please
kindly reply me back through my private email address for more
explanation.(juliapowells24@gmail.com)

Remain blessed
Yours Sister
Mrs. Julia Powells

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