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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: "Samuel Balogun" <samuelbalogun@i12.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: samuelbalogun@ureach.com
Date: Tue, 5 Jul 2005 20:12:38 +0100
Subject: WITH TEARS

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

I GREET YOU IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HIGH GOD. I AM SAMUEL BALOGUN SON OF
THE FORMER DETAINED INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, TAFA BALOGUN, AT THIS
MOMENT MY FATHER IS FACING TRIAL AND IS BEEN KEPT UNDER SERIOUS
SURVEILLANCE BY THE PRESENT CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT. THE REASON WHY I AM NOW
CONTACTING YOU, IS BECAUSE MY FATHER HAS CONFIDED IN ME TO SOURCE FOR A
TRUSTWORTHY FOREIGNER WHO CAN ASSIST US TO KEEP THE SUM OF 20,000,000
USD (TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS) IN HIS COUSTODY, THIS FUNDS HAS BEEN
SECRETLY WITHDRAWN INTO THE SAFE OF A FINANCE HOUSE IN EUROPE, AND MY
FATHER AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE OF THE TRIAL HE IS FACING, DOES NOT WANT
THIS FUNDS TO BE TRACED TO HIM OR ANY MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY.

PRESENTLY, ALL OUR PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED, AND ALL MY FATHERS
ACCOUNT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD HAVE BEEN FROZEN, ONLY THIS FUND
THAT WAS LODGED IN FINANCE HOUSE THAT IS LEFT FOR US. WHAT WE NEED FROM
YOU NOW IS TO ASSIST US IN CLAIMING THIS FUNDS FROM THE FINANCE HOUSE
WHERE MY FATHER DEPOSITED THE MONEY, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO 25% OF THE
TOTAL SUM FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE, WE WILL ALSO WANT YOU TO TREAT THIS
BUSINESS AS CONFIDENTIAL AND URGENT, ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD YOU DISCUSS
THIS BUSINESS WITH ANY THIRD PARTY, AS YOU, MY FATHER AND MY SELF ARE
THE ONLY PEOPLE HAVING KNOWLEDGE OF THIS FUNDS.

I WILL WANT YOU TO INDICATE YOUR INTEREST TO ASSIST ME BY CONTACTING ME
IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE THROUGH MY ALTERNATE EMAIL ADDRESS
(samuelbalogun@ureach.com)
SO THAT I CAN GIVE YOU DETAIL INFORMATION ON ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THIS BUSINESS AND FORWARD TO YOU THE CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT. I ALSO WANT
TO ASSURE YOU THAT THIS BUSINESS IS RISK FREE.

I WILL AWAIT YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE, THANK YOU.

SAMUEL BALOGUN


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