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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: "Mercy Francois" <meryfrancois20@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: meryfrancois13@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 04:20:10 +0100
Subject: TREAT THIS AS URGENT PLEASE.

DEAR SIR/MADAM,

I CRAVE YOUR INDULGENCE AS THIS IS COMING FROM
SOMEBODY YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN BEFORE.I DECIDED TO DO THIS AFTER PRAYING
AND FASTING OVER THE SITUATION. YOU SHOULD PLEASE CONSIDER THE
TRANSACTION ON ITS CONTENT AND NOT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE NOT KNOWN ME
BEFORE.

I NEED NOT DWELL ON HOW I CAME BY YOUR
CONTACT INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY SUCH
POSSIBILITIES THESE DAYS ATLEAST THROUGH THE
INTERNET.

I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AS MRS.MERCY KIDJO
FRANCOIS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BENIN NOW IN NIGERIA ON
MEDICAL GROUNDS AND, A WIDOW TO LATE MR.ABEL KIDJO
FRANCOIS WHO HAS BEEN A WELL KNOWN INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESSMAN.I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED OF THE
CANCER OF THE PELVICS. IAM WRITING TO YOU FROM MY
SICK BED RIGHT NOW VIA MY PERSONAL COMPUTER.

THERE IS THIS USD$15.5MILLION MY HUSBAND HAS
DEPOSITED WITH A SECURITY COMPANY OF WHICH IAM THE
NEXT OF KIN.WITH MY HEALTH CONDITION AND BECAUSE MY
HUSBAND AND I HAVE NO CHILDREN,IAM LOOKING FOR A
CREDIBLE AND GOD FEARING PERSON TO WHOM I WILL PASS
THE RIGHT OF NEXT OF KIN.THIS PERSON WILL APPLY TO
THE SECURITY COMPANY AND REQUEST FOR THE CLAIM OF
THE FUNDS.

THIS IS ON THE CONDITION THAT,YOU WILL TAKE 25% OF
THE FUND FOR YOURSELF,5% USED FOR EXPENSES,WHILE YOU
WILL USE OR INVEST THE REMAINING 70% IN A
LUCRATIVE VENTURE AND FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED PEOPLE
IN THE SOCIETY.THIS IS IN FULFILMENT OF THE LAST
REQUEST OF MY HUSBAND THAT:A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF THE
FUND BE USED TO CATER FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED.

IF THIS CONDITION IS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU,YOU SHOULD
CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY WITH YOUR FULL NAMES AND
CONTACT INFORMATION SO THAT IWILL RECOMMEND YOU AS
THE NEW NEXT OF KIN TO THE SECURITY COMPANY.I WILL
ALSO GIVE YOU A TEXT OF THE APPLICATION YOU ARE TO
SEND TO THE SECURITY COMPANY.

I CAN NOT PREDICT WHAT WILL BE MY FATE BY THE TIME
THE FUND WILL BE RELEASED TO YOU BUT,YOU SHOULD
PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE FUND IS USED AS I HAVE
DESCRIBED ABOVE.

SEND YOUR REPLY TO ME ONLY THROUGH THIS E- MAIL
ADDRESS:

meryfrancois13@yahoo.com

I LOOK FORWARD TO RECEIVING YOUR RESPONSE.

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MRS.MERCY KIDJO FRANCOIS

_________________________________________________________________
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