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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: "Vivian J. Paul" <vivian.johnp24@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 19:59:23 +0000
Subject: Please My Dear, I' need your Assistant.

*Good Day My Dear,*
**
* **Dear, I am writing this mail to you with profound respect and humble
submission, I beg to state the following few lines for your kind
consideration. I hope you will spare some of your valuable minutes to read
the following appeal with sympathetic mind. I must confess that it is with
great hope, joy and enthusiasm to write you this mail and I believe by the
faith that it must surely find you in good condition of health. My name is
Vivian John Paul Oulu 25 years old female from the Republic of Kenya, the
daughter of Late Barrister, John Paul Oulu. My late father was a Kenyan
lawyer and human rights activist who was the Chief Executive Officer and
Communications and Advocacy Officer of the Oscar Foundation Free Legal Aid
Clinic Kenya (OFFLACK). My Father was brutally shot dead on Thursday 5Th
March 2009 after a government spokesman accused their group of aiding a
criminal gang. What led to the cold blood killing is still unclear but I
know that my father life was the target. You can read more about my father
in the BBC link below. **http://news.bbc.co.uk2/hi/africa/7927873.stm

*
*After the death of my beloved father my wicked step mother along with my
uncles team together and sold everything that my late father had and share
the money within themselves, I lost my mother long time ago, and since
then, my father loved me so dearly at my tender age may he rest in peace
and may the great God give him a safe entry in Paradise Amen. Before the
death of my father, he told me that he made a fixed deposit of the sum of
Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars ($8.500.000.00) in
one of the Banks here in Burkina Faso, with my name as his next of kin,
which I confirmed his statement positively from the bank. But on my arrival
to the Bank to withdraw the fund, the Bank foreign remittance Department
Director whom I meet in person told me that my father instruction to their
bank is that the fund would only be release to me when I am married or
present a trustee/partner who will help me and invest the fund overseas
after the transfer, and the bank ask me to go and look for a foreign
partner who will be representing me as my legal appointed trustee and
present beneficiary.*
**
*Therefore my dear, I am soliciting your help for transferring of my
inheritance fund into your bank account and investment assistance in your
Country as my legal appointed trustee as the bank mentioned and it will be
my intention to compensate you with 40% of the total fund for your services
and help then the balance shall be my capital in your establishment which
you are going to establish there in your country or position as my trustee
and manger. I have suffered lots of set back as a result of my parents
death. I left Kenya, because of incessant family problem. Presently, I am
currently residing in Christ De King Refugee camp here in Ouagadougou
Capital city of Burkina Faso. Hence, I want to settle in your country to
further my education and spend the rest of my life. Please consider my
request as my life is being hugely affected.

Thanking you a lot of your quick response. I will give you details in my
next mail after receiving your acceptance mail to help me.*
**
*Yours Sincerely Vivian John Paul.*

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