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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: tracy brown <tracybrown4010@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2014 11:54:26 -1200
Subject: I NEED YOUR HELP AND ATTACHED MY PHOTO

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Ms.Tracy Brown the only daughter of late Mr. John Brown who work as a
site engineer with the Nigeria Manning corporation (NMC) who died on the
6th April 2007.The Nigeria government paid me the sum of $6.5m USD as
compensation to my late father's death insurance cover, the money was paid
to me as his Next of Kin.

I have moved this money to a finance company for safe keeping because my
Late father's brothers want to kill me because they want to have all this
money for them self.My reason for contacting you is that I need your help
to move out this money which I have deposited with the finance company to
your country because my life is in danger.

If you agree to help me, I will send to you the certificate of deposit and
the finance company contact Address so that you can contact them and
arrange the possible means of sending the money to you for safe keeping.

If only you can assist me, I will give you 20% of the total sum.As soon as
you agree to help me, I will arrange urgently to run away from my country
as my life is not safe any more.

I wait for your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,
Ms.Tracy Brown
PLEASE CONTACT ME AT tracybrown4010@live.com

Anti-fraud resources: