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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: Mrs Rosemary Collins <mrs_rosemary.collins@live.com>
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:35:52 -0400
Subject: Dearest Friend,PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND GET BACK TO ME.

Hello

I crave your indulgence at this mail coming from somebody you have not know before. I decided to do this after praying 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.

I would like to introduce myself as Mrs. Rosemary Collins, of Repulic of Benin, widow to Late Mr.Sheik Collins for Consular of the benin embassy in Madrid,Spain.I have been recently been diagnosed of Cancer of the Pelvics. I am writing from my sick bed in a CHINESE HOSPITAL here in Benin Republic.

There is this consignment (containing US$11.5Million cash, in US$100 bills) my husband deposited with a security company,
here in Cotonou,Republic of Benin of which I am the next of kin. With my health condition and because my husband and I have no children, I am looking for a credible person to whom I will pass the right of next of kin. This person will apply to the company and request, from them, the procedure towards retrieving the consignment from them.

This is on the condition that you will take 25% of the fund for yourself, 5% used for expenses, while you will use the remaining 70% for the less privilege people in the society. This is in fulfillment of the last request of my husband: that a substantial part of the fund be used to carter 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 I will send you all the documents that the company gave to my husband when the consignment was deposited. So that you will contact the company directly, and demand from them the procedure towards retrieving the consignment from their company.

I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time you will receive the fund, but you should please ensure that the fund is
used as i have described above.

I look forward to your response

Best Regards
Mrs Rosemary Collins




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