419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- angeline.jimmy@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Angeline Jimmy <keith-buzz@hotmail.co.uk>
Reply-To: <angeline.jimmy@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2014 13:55:33 +0000
Subject: =?windows-1256?Q?COMPLIMENT?= =?windows-1256?Q?_OF_THE_SE?=
=?windows-1256?Q?ASON=FE?=

DearestI am Miss. Angeline jimmy, am 20 years old Medical student, in University of Sudan . I am the only child of my father of a blessed memory by name Late Mr. Jimmy Lemi Milla was the rural development minister in Sudan . You can read more about my father death in the BBC news below website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12403620 I am in search of an honest and reliable person who will help to relocate me in any of the western or any other place in the world, for a better life and to continue my studies, I have chosen to contact you after getting your email through a database, and I believe you are a reliable person who will not let me down or betray my trust, I have the sum of $4.5Million as an inheritance from my late father which I will like to invest in your country with your help and am ready to give you 20% of the money as thanking gift for your assistance after you have helped me to receive the money and relocate to your country. I want you to understand that I will not be able to make this claim because of my refugee status. I know you may wonder why I am telling you about all this, even without seeing or knowing you fully well, really something in me tells me that you are a good person and I guess I am not wrong as I have no choice. Please respond if you are interested so that i can tell you more. send your reply to my email address: angeline.jimmy@yahoo.com
Yours Sincerely,Miss Angeline Jimmy

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam