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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: "ATI MAYOO" <ati_mayoo1@inmail24.com> (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 22:28:57 +0800
Subject: Req!!!!!!

Dear Sir/madam,

                         First I must solicit your strictest confidence in this
transaction and I pray that my decision to contact you will be given
genuine approval considering the facts that
we don't known each other before. I wish to use this opportunity
introduce myself to you. I am Ati Mayoo, from Indonesia. I write you
with my desire to invest in your country. I am the only surviving
daughter of my parents. My late father Mr. Omor Abdullah was one of the
richest Investor in my country Indonesia. But now I am suffering some
where alone as my family was among the Tsunami crisis victims. I am a
survival because I visited Jakarta the period of these incidents.

When my father was alive, he revealed to me about the fund deposit which
he had in a financial institute here in Malaysia. Presently, I am here
in Malaysia under the UNHCR, but with the intention to notify the
financial institute about my inheritance. I reside in the refugee camp
here. Therefore I will want you to assist retrieve my inheritance for
any good investment in your country. But you must assure me of your
trust worthiness and sincererity before we continue, as this inheritance
fund is I'm banking all my future hope. I thought it will be dangerous
to-invest this fund in my country Indonesia, due to economic and
political instability facing my country as at the moment. So want to
invest it abroad. For your foreign assistance, i have agreed to offer
you 20% of the total amount of the money. I have all the vital documents
covering the deposit, which I can send to you on request. NOTE: I have
never disclosed this to any person apart from you. Please you have to
keep this very confidential. We shall talk more as soon as i hear from
you. Thanks

Regards
Ati Mayoo


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