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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: SARAH <sarahmohamed@att.net>
Reply-To: s_mmed1988@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:25:51 -0800 (PST)
Subject: PLS WE NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE.



 
ADDRESS:
B022 HOUSING
ESTATE,
RESIDENT EVANS, SANPEDRO
ABIDJAN COTE D'
IVOIRE WEST AFRICA.
POSTAL
BOX: 0030 BP02469 ABIDJAN
                                       

             
Dearest one,
 
With warm heart I offer my
friendship, and my greetings, and I hope this email letter meets you in good
time. It will be surprising to you to receive this proposal from me since you do
not know me personally. I only got your contact details from the Cote
D' Ivoire Africa Exchange
Information On-line Service on my personal programmed search on
the internet for a reputable company or individual to assist me sincerely &
confidential which your information & profiles were very satisfactory, so i
decided to contact you immediately.
 
Actually I
did not want to discuss this matter with you before but after fasting and prayer
I just decided to contact you for your help, please I really need your help. I
am 21 years old Girl. I leave with my younger brother and we leave alone because
we dont want the people who killed my late Father, to kill us too. I will be
very happy if you promised me that you will keep this secret until this money
arrive to your care in your country.
 
My late Father deposited one trunk
of box with a finance company here before he died and because of situation of
political crisis here that led to war going on here in my country, we need some
body that I will trust to come in and help me and my brother claim this
consignment out from the company for the safety of my property that was
deposited under there custody. Please I am contacting you for your assistance,
to help me and my brother because we don't have anyone in here to help us and I
don't have money to travel from here to any country please I need your
assistance to stand by me and my brother and help us to transfer the box to you
for future investment.
 
You will contact the security company as Miss
Sarah mohammed's foreign partner who want to help me and claim the box that was
deposited by my late Father from Republic of Code D' Ivoire. My late Father did
not declared the real content of the box to the security company officials. He
only told them that the box is containing family valuables. You are the only
person I have sent this message across to. I will like you to keep the secret
until this box arrive your country. You have to promise me that you will not
betray me and my brother when this box is under your care.I will send the
documents and the security company contact to you once you accept to help me and
my brother.
 
You have to give me your private phone and fax number to
enable me to send the documents to you. The money inside the trunk box is
Nineteen Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($19.5 Millions Dollars).
I
will offer you 25% for the total sum of amount, if you help me and claim this
box from the security company. You will also provide investment programme where
the money will be invested properly when it arrival your hand safely.
I wait
to hear from you.
 
May God bless you.
Yours sincerely,
SARA
MOHAMED
 
Peace be
with you always

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