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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: "Haynes Mariana" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <haynes.maria@post.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 14:13:45 -0000
Subject: Confidntial Proposal

Dear Sir,
 
I am sergeant Haynes Mariana , from the united states marine stationed in Gazi province of Afghanistan, in the eastern Afghanistan, on Saturday May 13 2014, a bomb exploded killing 14 civilian traveling to the Giro district of Ghanzi province of Afghanistan after a wedding ceremony. In our search for the victim survival we discovered in one of the van caring the victims wedding gifts a trunk box in content was the united state dollars over fifteen million estimated.
 
I have this money secured in our position as we are not ready to present this fund to the Afghanistan government or the united state government. We all agreed to make away with this funds as this fortune may no reoccur, we seek for your assistance as a foreign civilian that will receive this money through our diplomatic cargo delivery in Europe France Paris. Where we have our diplomatic embargos in France Paris.
 
 
All arrangement to deliver the amount in the trunk through our diplomatic courier embargos service to France. We have agreed to share the funds as follows we take 60% while you take 40% for you, we will also give you power of attorney to invest our share of the funds in a profitable venture in your country.
 
Your profile information will be required to seek the power of attorney in your name as the beneficiary of the consignments which we will labele as x-ray photographic material for security purpose.
 
I await your urgent reply please keep this as a Top secret.
 
Yours Truly
Sgt Haynes Mariana

Anti-fraud resources: