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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: "WILLIAMS CHALLAS" <wilicha@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: williamschallas102000@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 21:15:12 +0100
Subject: ATTENTION PLEASE.

Dear Sir,

I will want you to be of good assistance to me, i know we have not meet before or have any conversation before, however i will want you to bear with me and be of good assistance to my request. Be informed that i am working in a Bank here in Abidjan, and in our remittance department, the sum of $1,000,000.00 United State Dollars was deposited by one late Mrs. Roseline Johnson, that was working with United Nation. And for your information, nobody knows about this money, because i am the director of our remittance department, and i will want you to reply me with your telephone and fax number together with your full resident address, so it will enable me to write 4 cheque's of $250,000.00 Each, and have it send to you by DHL, and for your information, i am going to give you the sum of $200,000.00 from the total sum as soon as the cheque is be clear in your account.

If you need any urgent information about my request please try and call me on 00225 07 250 554.

Thanks ,

Dr. Williams Challas.


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