419 scam: vivian <vivianprince53@ymail.com> Greetings MY Good People,

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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:

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.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "trunk box" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "million us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "urgent assistance" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "abidjan" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a orphan scam.

Fraud email example:

From: vivian <vivianprince53@ymail.com>
Reply-To: vivian <viviprince1@yahoo.fr>
Date: Mon, 12 May 2014 07:43:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Greetings MY Good People,

Greetings MY Good People,

Hello Dear.
I am a girl of 22 years old, By name Ms Vivian prince
citizen of cote d'Divoire. I am still a student in one university in
GHANA reading law to become a lawyer after graduating. i have a very bad
problem now and that is why I'm contacting you for an urgent
assistance. I have a younger brother and my mother died of (T/B)
Tuberculosis years back. my father's name is MR LATH PRINCE. my father
was a well known politician here in cote d' ivoire.

You may heard
over the BBC OR CNN concerning the political crisis happening here, and
last year the election of the country was cancelled because of some
problem that is going on even till today. This is to tell you how my
country is now I thank God that i was not at home when what i am about
to tell you happened but it was a deep
shock to me and also what i do not think that i can forget so easily.

Is
about my father's death, my father was murdered in our house here by
unknown people but after a year now i come to realist that it was the
hand work of the great people in power master minded the act. so i can
not fight them i leave vengeance to God. Now is like my father, know
what is going to happen he call me one day and told me that the has $
10.2,million us dollars with a security company here in Abidjan for safe
keeping only. And told me that he use my name as next of kin to that
money, but warn me not to tell any body about this. He told me that he
deposited this money as family valuables in a trunk box.

Now i
seek your urgent help to have this money been shipped to your country by
the security company as my late father partner in business, and also to
help me get resident permit to come and live with you in your country
and further my education there. while
you will help me to invest the money in your country since i do not
know anything concerning business. You will be given some part out of
the total sum and this transaction is 100% risk free. And we are to
discuss on the percentage which you are to take from the total money for
your urgent help after confirming that you will assist in this soonest.
Thanks as you reply urgently.
Regards
Vivian

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