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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.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "FRANK PAUL ROLAND" <paulroland@hotmail.de> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 17:50:25 +0100
Subject: asking for help

HELLO SIR/MADAM
I AM USING THIS GREAT TIME TO SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU,I KNOW YOU WILL BE WONDERING HOW I GET YOUR EMAIL CONTACT,IS A HELP FROM FRIEND WORKING THE USA EMBASSY IN GERMANY HERE.MY NAME IS FRANK PAUL ROLAND ,I AM A CITIZEN OF ABIDJAN IVORY COAST.PRESENTLY I AM NOW IN GERMANY SEEKING ASSYLUM HERE,BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM THAT HAPPEND IN OUR COUNTRY,THROUGH THE PROBLEM I LOST MY BELOVED FATHER AND MY SISTER,GOD SO KIND I WAS NOT AT HOME WHEN THE REBELS BREAK INTO OUR HOUSE TO KILLED THEM.ALL BECAUSE MY FATHER IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY .
THEN NOW THROUGH HIS PERSONAL ATTORNEY IN SOUTH AFRICA WHO I CONTACT ON THE 1ST OF JANUARY THIS YEAR AND I DISCOVER THAT MY FATHER DEPOSITED ABOUT ($2MILLION) IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK IN EUROP HERE.AND NOW SINCE I AM STILL IN ASSYLUM ,GERMANY GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ALLOWED ME TO GO FOR IT,THAT IS THE REASON WHY I AM LOOKING A NICE AND HONEST SOME ONE THAT WILL HELP ME TO HANDLE IT SO THAT I WILL COME OUT FROM THE ASSYLUM AND USED IT TO START MY LIFE.AND I PROMISED TO GIVE WHO EVER HELPED ME TO STAND AS MY FATHER PERTINER TO BRING THIS FUND OUT FROM THE SOUTH AFRICA RESERVE BANK,I WILL GIVE THE PERSON 20% OF THIS FUND .
I THINK I WILL STOP HERE TILL I HEAR FROM YOU SOON:
PLS YOUR CAN CONTACT ME IF YOUR LIKE WITH THIS MOBILE NUMBER (004915207771658) EMAIL IS (paulroland@hotmail.de </ym/Compose?To=paulroland@hotmail.de>)
BEST WISHES
FRANK PAUL ROLAND


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