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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 Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <srhsmth990@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:48:20 -0800
Subject: Compliment

Dear Friend,

I'm very sorry to have disturbed you with my Proposal, My name is Sarah Smith, I am 25 years old, from London - England, where I school and work as a fashion designer for part time job I do after my school. I am the only daughter of my parents my father died on a fatal auto accident on his way to see my sick mother at the hospital where she was admitted for Cancer treatments, she also die when she heard about the death of my father in same day at the hospital.

Before the death of my father, he had willed part of his Real Estate Business, Petrol Stations and a total sum of £50,700,000.00(Fifty Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) to me. Now at his death, and because things has become very hard for me paying my school fees, putting food on the table and taking care of my other needs which the fashion designer job I do as a part time work after school hours can't help, I went to the bank where my late father deposited the funds on my behalf to withdraw money to take care of myself and pay for my school fees and other bills.

I was shocked when the Bank Manager explained to me that I will not be able to draw from the deposited money, because my father had put a clause on the Will saying i should be given access to the money when I'm either married or 30 years old or if I get married before the age of 30, in which case, my husband will be eligible to collect the money on my behalf by standing in as my late fathers next of kin to claim the deposited funds on my behalf.

Today I am only 25 years old. And I have no access to the money till I'm 30 years. So, I'm contacting you to stand in as my husband to claim this fund on my behalf, But if you are already married , you can still help me by standing in as my late fathers next of kin to the deposited funds. So, please get back to me as to know how you will be remunerated as I will part with 40% of the total sum £50,700,000.00(Fifty Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) ,while 10% will be mapped out for any expenses that were to use to receive the money from the deposited Bank.

Please remember that I am writing you this email purely on the ground of trust so we can achieve this deal together. This transaction will last for two weeks after you get back to me showing me how serious you are.

Yours Truly,
Sarah G Smith

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