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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: "Nora Williams" <nora_williams@mail.com> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 16:21:24 +0100
Subject: Dearest One




Dearest One,

After reading your profile,I became interested in you and also want
to know more better you .My name is Nora Williams, 22 year old girl a
student,my late father was a former gold minister in Sierra-Leone before he
was killed by the group of rebel. Before the death of my father, he
called me one early morning which is still fresh in my memory and told me of
some money he had deposited into a fixed account in a bank here in Ivory
Coast Abidjan for my schooling and some other needs when I am old enough to
take care of myself.

Now, since my father is late and our family members are after me to
kill me so as to inherit my fathers wealth, I kindly seek your help in
claiming this funds from the Bank and invest it into a business in your country
while you shall also help me get a visa into your country so that I can
further my education and we live together happilly. The reason why I seek your
help is because I am still a little girl and cannot go for claims of that
funds from the Bank because of my age status. I shall send you the contact
details of the bank where the fund is deposited and aslo introduce you to the
bank as my fathers business partner overseas and shall forward all the
deposit documents to you as soon as I can confide in you that you would not
sit in the funds after it gets to your care.

Please,I want you to kindly tell me more about youself and what you
do for a living. I also want you to reply to me immediatelly as the political
status of this country is not safe for me. Also send me your telephone
number in your reply so that i can call you for discussions.

Thanks a lot and God Bless you.

Nora Williams.



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