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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: "Stanley Alan John" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alan_js@yahoo.cn>
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:52:09 +0100
Subject: Charity Offer From Mr.Stanley Alan John

Dear friend,

This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have not yet met. I have to say that I have no intentions of causing you any pains. My name is Mr. Stanley Alan John, a merchant in London, but taking treatment in Dubai, now I have been diagnosed with prostate and esophageal cancer that was discovered very late due to lack of caring for my health. It has defiled all form of medicine and right now, I have only about a few months to live according to medical experts. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business.

Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. Recently, I use to say to my self that if God should give me a second chance I would have live it differently way from how I have lived. I was meditating on my hospital bed and something told me that God is giving me a second chance by keeping me alive though doctors said I won’t last long. I know my time is near, that’s why I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as well as some few close friends.

I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth. So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in the U.A.E, London and Ireland. And I have also met two people on the net who have helped me distribute money to charity organizations in their country. Now my health is deteriorating so badly, I really need you to help me distribute the last of my fortune. You might be wondering why I did not ask my close relatives to pick over this task. But I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money, which I have there to charity organizations in Bulgaria; they closed the account but refused to donate the money to the organizations, some of them even fled away with some of the money while the rest shared the remaining among money among themselves. From the way they are acting around me tells that they want me dead so that they can talk about inheritance.

Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be content with what I have left for them. The last of my money which is a huge cash deposit that I have with a security firm abroad will be put in your care if only you will agree. I want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity organizations and let them know that it is I Stanley Alan John that is making this generous donation. I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait for my time to come. I pray for you to support and assist me with a good heart.

But the choice is yours.

Please you can contact me through this email address: alan_js@yahoo.cn

Be blessed my beloved,
Stanley Alan John

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