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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: "lisa joyce markson" <mrsmarkson8@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 15:43:33 +0000
Subject: Remain bless


*Remain bless, *
* *
* I am contacting you to let you know my desire to establish a charity
foundation in your country with this sum $10.700.000 (Ten Million Seven
hundred thousand US Dollars) which I inherited from my late husband Mr
Phillipe Markson.*
**
*It is my desire to see that this money is invested to any organization of
your choice in your country and distributed each year among the charity
organizations, motherless baby's home, mosques, churches, Schools**,
supporting destitute aged men and women or whatever you may have in mind
that will be to the benefit of the less fortunate.*
**
*I took this decision because I was raised from a motherless baby's home and
presently, I'm hospitalized here in (Abidjan) where I am undergoing
treatment for my up coming breast cancer surgery operation. *
**
*As soon as I receive your response confirming your acceptance to claim the
deposit on my behalf, I will give you all the relevant information that will
authorise the release of the money to you as my duly assigned
representative.*
**
*Thank you in advance for your consideration and I hope to hear from you
urgently. *
**
*Thanks.*
*Yours Sister,*
*Mrs Lisa Joyce Markson*

Anti-fraud resources: