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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: "Muhammad Arraf" (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2011 23:34:11 +0100
Subject: I am Stucked in Libya...

Greeting to you
I know you may feel very surprised to receive my letter at this moment but i am in deep pains and left with no option and that is why i am contacting you. My name is Muhammad Arraf, an oil dealer from Libya, within the past few weeks; I believe you must have heard or seen on the news regarding the massacre and crisis in my country (Libya). Our president Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi who has been ruling our country for the past 42 years, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_al-Gaddafi)
he has refused to step down and this has lead the protectors seeking his resignation just like it happened in Egypt.
The bad news right now is that more than 6,000 people have been killed so far and i do not know how many that will die in the next few days. My wife and my two children were also killed. As i am writing you now, my life is in danger.
I want to leave this country by any means and run for my life before I get killed also. I already transferred my business capital $US1.4 Million (One Million, Four Hundred Thousand Dollar) to Financial security company in England but we are not authorized to travel to UK because the UK embassy here has been closed as a result of the crisis. Other embassies are still open but may close anytime if they receive instructions. I am so confused right now because i don't know where to run to. I am writing you because i want to relocate to your country and start a new life with my capital. I am seeking for your help because I want to transfer my fund in UK to another country since I cannot have a UK visa right now. I am not doing anything in this country when my life is in danger and I have lost the only family I’ve got.

I believe you can assist me to transfer my capital in UK to your country while i prepare the documents here to relocate to your country and start a new life. Please listen to my cry for help, a lot of people has been killed now and i don't want to die. See the video clip of the recent killings on youtube.com

I promise to reward you with 10% of my business capital in appreciation for what did for me as soon as i arrive your country. Please help, I am a very rich man here but being rich is not important to me now, what matters to me right now is my life. I hope to receive your response and also the details on how i can know much about you. Thanks and may Allah bless you
bountifully.

Muhammad Arra

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