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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: Sarah El Mahdi <teamahs1@nokiamail.com>
Reply-To: <elmahdisarah1@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2013 14:51:39 +0000
Subject: HI LOVE.. ATTACH IS MY PICTURE..


Hello dear,

Thanks for your reply to my mail. It will delight me to have a friend like you whom could be trusted and understood at all times. I will crave your patience, to painstakingly go through my mail and feel the pains and sorrows am presenting passing through. My mail, is the story of my life and I have the believe you will be rich in compassion to see through my pains.

My name is Miss Sarah El Mahdi , 24 years old female from Southern Sudan in Africa. I am second year law student from university of Jubal. My father of the blessed memory is Dr. David El Mahdi. He was a very successful politician and a business man. He operates mainly within the eastern and central African ruling class and has more of his business in Gold and Diamonds trading. He was murdered alongside with my mother by the militant, who later got our house burnt down days later. As at the time of the crisis I was in the campus hostel, part of the reasons why I escaped being not killed.

Call it coincidence or providence, the very day I visited home to inquire about my family particularly my father since I couldn't reach neither of them on phone was the day they where murdered in their cold blood. I saw them lying down in their pool of blood, and in that confused, terrified and unexplained situation, I could only lay my hands in few of our family valuables including my late father's briefcase. The story I got much later was that the rebels came back less than 48 hours after the murdered my family members to loot some valuables including Gold and Diamonds and after which set our family mansion ablaze. I left my country { Sudan } to Senegal where i am living now in refugee camp - Senegal by the help of Roman Catholic Missionaries and Red cross society.

I am actually searching through this medium, a Trusted friend, who will help me relocate to his country and at the same time stand as a trustee to the sum of $3.5 million us dollars my late father willed in my favor. The information about the money and documents/papers concerning the money I found in my late father's personal briefcase which I took alongside.

So in the light of above I will like you to keep it to yourself and don't tell it to anyone for I am afraid of loosing my life and the money if people get to know about it. Remember I am giving you all this information due to the trust I deposited on you. I like honest, understanding, truthful and caring people.

I will like to invest in your country if you will be there for me Please do all your possible best to assist me out OK. I promise to offer you 20% of the total fund for your help, its from my heart and the remaining money will be managed by you in any business of your choice while i go back to school to complete my studies. I have mapped out 20% for your assistance and 10% for any expenses that might come up in this transfer making it total of 30% of the total money.

I will be very happy to speak with you on-phone and you can reach me through this number: +221 78-165-4467) This is Rev. Father Emanuel's phone number, tell him you will like to speak with me and he will invite me to his office, i will be waiting for your phone call including your pictures in your next reply.

I have two reasons for choosing you, I choose you because it is the will of God and I believe knowing you will bring hope back again to my life. My choosing you do not mean I do not have anybody from Africa. I have two uncles, that is my late fathers younger brothers whom I think are suppose to be taking care of me but they do not care, all they did was to sell my late fathers houses and company to one Mr. Buffet from united states and enjoy the money with their families.

I told Buffet that the inheritance that my uncles are about to dispose to him, does not belongs to them but that of my late father then, they started threatening my life and happiness but should my uncles know of the money, they will equally take my life ,so as to take the money.

I shall relate more on the details as we advance in communication and intimacy. Thanks and take good care of yourself, you mean so much to me.

Yours sincerely
Miss Sarah El Mahdi.

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