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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: "MRS. MAGARETH OWO" <CDHNCVV@YAHOO.COM> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mr.maxwellowo@YAHOO.COM
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:49:33 -0600
Subject: I CRY OUT FOR YOUR HELP PLEASE

ATTN:PRESIDENT/C.E.O,

SIR / MADAM.

I PRAY THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE MEETS YOU IN PEACE, MAY BLESSINGS OF GOD BE UPON YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND GRANT YOU THE WISDOM TO UNDERSTAND MY SITUATIONS AND HOW MUCH I REALLY NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE.

BEFORE I START, LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU FOR PROPER UNDERSTAND AND CO-OPERATION. MY NAME IS MRS. MAGARETH OWO, THE WIFE OF THE LATE AND FORMER HEAD OF GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, LATE MAJOR GENERAL MAXWEL OWO.

SINCE THE STRANGE AND UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND (MAY GOD'S MERCY BE UPON HIM), THE GOVERNMENT HAS TURNED AGAINST MY FAMILY WITH STRANGE ACCUSATION BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT MY HUSBAND TO TAKE PART IN ANY POLITICAL ARRANGEMENT OF HIS COUNTRY.

AT FIRST, I THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE VENDETTA FROM MY HUSBAND'S ENEMIES BUT I WAS WRONG.

THEY ARRESTED MY ONLY SON OLD ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF THE FAMILY AND THEN, THEY FROZE ALL OUR BANK ACCOUNTS KNOWN TO THEM WHILE THEY HOPE THAT WE WILL STARVE TO DEATH.

WHY CAN'T WE ALL LIVE IN PEACE? SINCE I CAN'T DO ANYTHING IN MY POSITION HERE, THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN.

MY FAMILY IS GOING THROUGH HARDSHIP, MY SON IS IN JAIL AND THE REMAINING ONES AND MYSELF ARE UNDER HOUSE ARREST.

THE NEW DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBANSANJO HAS SEIZED MORE THAN US$88 MILLION DOLLARS ALREADY AND THEY ARE STILL SEIZING A LOT OF LAND AND PROPERTIES.

ALL THAT IS REMAINING FOR US NOW IS US$56MILLION DOLLARS, AND THIS MONEY HAS BEEN KEPT IN A PLACE I CANNOT DISCLOSE, UNTIL WE FIND SOME ONE WE SHALL TRUST AND RELY ON FOR OUR FUTURE.

WE CANNOT INVEST THIS MONEY HERE BECAUSE OF POLITICAL TENSION AND WE DO NOT WANT EXPOSE THE DEPOSIT TO ANY BODY WE DO NOT TRUST.

THIS IS WHAT WE PLAN TO DO WITH THE MONEY, WE PLAN TO SEND IT TO YOUR COUNTRY USING A VERY POPULAR DIPLOMATIC COURIER SERVICE HERE IN NIGERIA. SO THIS IS WHY WE NEED A FOREIGN PARTNER AND YOUR HELP.

SINCE YOU WILL BE THE ONE COLLECTING THE PACKAGE IN THE COUNTRY THAT IT WILL SENT TO, THE SUM WILL BE SHARED IN THREE WAYS. 20% WILL BE USED TO INVEST IN YOUR COUNTRY OR COMPANY AND WHILE 15% WILL BE FOR YOU AND THE OTHER 65% WILL BE FOR US.

IS THIS OKAY? WE ALSO HOPE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED AND THAT YOU WON'T DISAPPOINT US? AND I ADVISE THAT THIS TRANSACTION SHOULD TREATED WITH EXTREME CONFIDENTIALITY.

IMPORTANTLY, I REQUEST THAT IMMEDIATELY THE FUNDS ARRIVES IN YOUR DESIGNATED ACCOUNT IN YOUR COUNTRY, YOU WILL SEND US AN INVITATION LETTER TO VISIT YOUR COUNTRY AND COLLECT OUR SHARE.

I AM CRYING OUT FOR HELP AND MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU AS PARTNER WITH ME TO TRANSFER THIS $56M IN YOUR ACCOUNT SO THAT I WILL FIND MY WAY OUT OF THIS WICKED COUNTRY.

WHEN YOU REPLY PLEASE LEAVE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS, MY PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND FRIEND WILL SPEAK TO YOU AND FORWARD ALL THE PARTICULARS OF THE FUND DEPOSIT TO YOU.

HE WILL RELATE ALL YOUR MESSAGES TO ME, AND IF YOU WISH TO TALK TO ME JUST TELL HIM AND HE WILL MAKE ALL THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENT. AND FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION THIS MONEY IS DRUG FREE AND 100% RISK FREE. TIME IS AGAINST US, SO YOUR URGENT RESPONSE IS NEEDED.

I HEREBY ADVISED THAT YOU FORWARD TO ME ALL REPLY'S REGARDING TO THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION THROUGH THIS MAIL ADDRESS.

PLEASE ENDEAVOR TO MAIL ME IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE.

MAY GOD BE WITH YOU.

MRS. MAGARETH OWO
WIDOW.




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