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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: "William Robertson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <robertsonwilliam60@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:03:47 +0800
Subject: COMPENSATION.

I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting the fund released and transferred to Germany,under the cooperation of a new partner from
Paraguay.Presently I'm in Paraguay,planing how to invest my fund,he assisted me to retrieve the money from the Bank,meanwhile,I didn't forget your past
efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring the fund despite that it failed us somehow.

Now contact my secretary,Mr Martin Reeves,call him on TEL: +44 704 572 6644,or email him (billrobb7@gmail.com),Ask my secretary to send you the total of usd$2m which I mapped for your compensation for all
the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter.
Note that already I have written a draft worth of that value on your name,I appreciated your efforts at that time,so feel free and get in touch with my
secretary (Martin Reeves),and instruct him where to send the draft to you.
Please,do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share
the joy after all the sufferings,and stress at that time,I am very busy here because of the investment projects which I and the new partner are having at
hand.

William Robertson.

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