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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "paul lee" <paul_lee_20053@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: paullee2005@uku.co.uk
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 01:55:43 -1000
Subject: UPDATE!

DEAR SIR/MA.


IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WRITE YOU THIS LETTER,FIRST OF ALL LET ME
INTRODUCE MY
SELF TO YOU,I AM PAUL LEE THE SON OF LATE MR NASO LEE,I LOST MY FATHER
AND
MOTHER IN THIS LAST TSSUNAMI DESSASTER THAT HAPPENED IN INDONESIA,BUT I
AM
NOT IN THE CONUNTRY WHEN THIS TSSUNAMI TAKE PLACE I SCHOOL IN LONDON
AND AS
I HEARD ABOUT IT THAT THE WHOLE OF MY FAMILY WAS AFFECTED IN THIS
TSSUNAMI
DESSASTER IN INDONESIA.

LIKE YOU CAN SEE MY FATHER WAS A GREAT MAN IN INDONESIA AND HE HAD MORE
THAN
FIVE COMPANYS OVER THERE AND EVERY THING WAS AFFECTED IN THIS DESSASTER
IN
INDONESIA, MY FATHER DIED AND LEFT OVER 15,MILLION POUNDS OVER IN HIS
ACCOUNT AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO CLAIM IT AND I DONT WANT ANY BODY TO
KNOW
THAT MY FATHER HAD THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN HIS ACCOUNT SO PLEASE
IF
ONLY YOU CAN BE MY NEXT OF KIN TO CLAIM THIS MONEY ON MY BEHALF AND PUT
IT
IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO SAVE MY LIFE AND THE MONEY,LET ME TELL YOU I HAVE
ALL THE
DOCUMENT OF THIS MONEY IN MY SIDE NOW SO I SEEK FOR YOUR HELP AND
CORRAGE TO
HELP ME OUT OF THIS CRITICAL SITUATION.

YOU CAN CALL ME ON MY DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR MORE
DETAILS.+44-7040116084.

I WILL NEED YOUR FULL NAME AND FULL ADDRESS YOUR PHONE AND FAX NUMBER
FOR
EASSY COMMUNICATION WITH YOU.

I LOOK FORWARD TO HARING FROM YOU SOON.

BEST REGARDS

PAUL LEE.



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