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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Mrs Anick Gestel <mrs.anickg@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2011 06:23:19 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Beloved


Beloved,


Compliments of the day to you! By this e-mail, I do sincerely apologize for
my intrusion of your privacy. However, I have a serious concern with which I
believe you might be of help and for this reason I decided to e-mail you
believing in faith that you will handle this issue with a sincere mind. I am
Mrs. Anick Gestel, Australian citizen and married to Australian Mr Stephen
Gestel.
 
Please I am contacting you to let you know my desire to
establish a charity foundation in your country with some of funds which I inherited from
my late husband ( Mr Stephen Gestel) It is my desire to see that this money is
invested to any charity organization of your choice in your country and
distributed each year among the charity organizations, motherless baby’s home,
mosques, churches, Schools, supporting destitute aged men and women or whatever
you may have in mind that will be to the benefit of the less
fortunate.
 
I took this decision because I was raised from a motherless
baby’s home and presently, I'm hospitalized where I am undergoing treatment for
my up coming breast cancer surgery operation.
Please reply as soon as
possible to confirming your acceptance to this proposition so that I will give
you all the relevant information that will authorise the release and transfer of
the fund to you as my duly assigned representative.
 
Thank you in advance
for your understanding and I look forward hearing from you urgently.
Warm
regards,
Mrs. Anick Gestel

Anti-fraud resources: