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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: "prescilla" <missprescillamohamed@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:52:41 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: please help me




Hello,
My name is Miss Prescilla Mohamed 17 years old from the Darfur, Sudan now
under (UNHCR) asylum protection in Ghana because of the war in my
native country.
My father was killed along side with my mother during the long civil
war and his properties were totally destroyed.
However, after their death I managed to escape with a very important
file of my father which stated that he deposited the sum of (US$4.5M)
Four Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S Dollars in one of the banks
in London.
I would appreciate you to represent me in withdrawing the fund and
also help me invest in profitable ventures since I have a limited
knowledge in the business world. I need your friendship and trust to
start living again and put our horrible past behind us.

I need you to become my family again because I live lonely here and
have no more family. Thanks and God bless you.Please reply to my personal
address: missprescillamohamed@yahoo.com.hk
Yours truly,
Prescilla



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