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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: Melinda Marquez <carlkaba2@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:47:21 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: hi


Hello
>From Mrs Melinda Marquez;
Philipine.
 
Attention,
 
I can tell you that I would be happy to link more than a friendship with you. But first, let me introduce myself to you.
 
My name is Mrs.MELINDA MARQUEZ, I am a Filipino citizen and my husband died on 07 May 2007, He was a wealthy heir and businessman at the head of a large holding.
 
My husband fell seriously ill and was taken to Europe for intensive care, but he later died of his illness and was buried. So I inherited from my late husband the sum of U.S. $ 12,000,000.00 USD. (Twelve Million U.S. dollars).
 
This money have hidden in a metal Briefcase and deposited in a security and finance here in the Philippines . However, I have urged the security and finance that my box be kept to a maximum security so that no person or even a Philippine government can not take notice of its existence, until I ready to withdraw, then the said company to respond to my demand of maximum security used diplomatic means to send my Briefcase out of the Philippines and specifically to their parent company of Europe and therefore my box is therefore discreetly kept in the safety security and finance in Europe.
 
This deposit was coded under a secret arrangement that my Briefcase contains only family property. This means that the company itself does not know the exact contents of the box because it was shipped to Europe in a diplomatic assurance and declared as containing family property.
 
Also, the main reason why I send you this letter is that, having more confidence in my surroundings here in the Philippines , I find myself at an impasse and I would like you to help me quietly to take my Briefcase money to a place much more discreet and stable in your country where I can start investing.
 
If you sincerely want to help, we will discuss in advance the percentage that I give you of the total amount, found in the Briefcase. In fact, since the death of my husband, his brothers chased me from the house and tried several times to affect my life thinking that my death all the legal documents of property owned by my husband they would of right.
Because of the reputation and influence that relations of my late husband have, they have turn me all the properties of my late husband and all his property. But they did not stop it and forced me to reveal all the bank accounts of my late husband by threatening to my life. I therefore give them this information and they confiscated all the bank accounts of my late husband.
 
I reveal them all except the existence of the deposit that I made within the security and finance company which is in Europe now, because this is my hidden secret hope. The family of my late husband is not aware of the existence of the deposit that I made in a security company and they will never know. However, I'm always afraid of my husband's brothers as they continue to spy on me and even listen to my conversations. That is why I decided to find someone to trust outside the Philippines that will help me to withdraw the briefcase from the finance company and discreetly place the money in his account abroad for future investment.
 
I ask you to consider my situation as that of a widow and come to my aid because today from this case, I have no more money and my financial situation is more difficult (my financial situation is to zero).
 
If you want help, I will send you in my next email, the particulars of the security company so that you can contact them for the immediate dispatch of this box for you to secure it.
Thank you very much for your cooperation and I look forward to hearing from you for the conclusion of this case.
 
Yours
Mrs Melinda Marquez



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