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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: Clifford Rufus <solapallaver11@gmail.com>
Reply-To: cliffordrufus55@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2023 16:07:06 +0000
Subject: Greetings ,

Greetings,

I am Mr. Clifford Rufus and I have emailed you earlier a few weeks ago
without any response from you. I am sending you this second Email in
respect of my late client that bears same last name with you, an
Independent Contractor in the Republic of Ivory Coast. On the 1st of
December 2012, my client, his wife and only daughter were involved in
fatal road crash while visiting a neighboring country on vacation; am
compelled to do this because I would not want the bank to push my
client’s funds into the bank treasury as unclaimed inheritance and the
amount involved is US$13 ,700,000.00 Million.

He died together with his next of kin and as such the funds now have
an open beneficiary mandate. Fortunately both of you have the same
last name so it will be very easy to make you his official next of kin
and the money will released to you and we share according to our
agreed sharing ratio. If you are interested kindly get back to me so
that i can give you Comprehensive details,

Yours faithfully,
Clifford Rufus

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