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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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Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Jennifer Inlawyer" <jennifer_inlawyer2002@yahoo.co.in> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 11:44:55 +0000
Subject: URGENT REPLY

Dear sir,
I am Mrs.Jennifer Inlawyer ,a civil servant from Zimbabwe. My late husband, Mr. Albert Peter Williams was the co-owner of an Agricultural firm and his partner
happens to be among the white farmers that the dictator President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe took over their farmlands and handed over to the blacks, despite all the pleas from the International Communities, and
members of the COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES. Most of the company's
assets, animal farms and milk industry were seized and confiscated by the tyrant President. My late husband was a British citizen of African descent and we both lived in the company's staff quarters but our lives were threatened by agents of President Mugabe. Since then, my husband and I have been living in exile here in Dakar - Senegal. My husband died last August as a result of
cardiac arrest. I am suffering from cancer of the breast myself and will be
undergoing a major operation early next month, by Gods special grace.
Dear, there is a huge amount of money that I and my husband before his death was able to send to a security and finance company in Spain(Europe) through the help of the International Red Cross staff, because President Mugabe, placedorder for the closure of the accounts of all the white farmers
and no one was allowed to transfer more than ten thousand dollars abroad but
luckily enough, I and my late husband along with some other farmers were assisted through diplomatic means with the help of the International Red Cross to send our money abroad for safety. The total Sum is twenty two million US dollar(US$15.000.000.00), the money is part of our life savings and what my husband inherited from his late father,from whom we took over the family business. The money arrived safely in Spain-Europe.I would like to have
your assistance in relocating and investing the money into any lucrative
business you deem profitable. I am 51 years of age and my only son is
still too young at 25, hence we need your cooperation to secure this deposit which is as it stands now, the only hope of our survival as I have already lost my husband,coupled with my sickness and the situation of insecurity.
Life is no more the same with me after all the lot I have gone through.
All my hope now rests on you, and I sincerely believe you will not disappoint me, I am expecting your immediate reply, so that I will forward to you the contact of the security & finance firm in Spain. Iwill equally give you a
letter of Authority, giving you the right to transfer this money to your location for safety purposes while i prepare to come over after my surgery.
I would be expecting to hearing from you. Sincerely your's,
Jennifer Inlawyer


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