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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: yasmin hassan <missyasminhassan@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2014 10:51:15 +0000
Subject: Please help me

Dear sir

I am writing you this mail with tears on my eyes which I believe that
the most high God will touch your heart and your spirit for you to
read and understand my situation position at this moment and will be
happy if you can help me out. I am miss Yasmin Amina Hassan,26 years
old and the only child of late Dr and Mrs Mohamed Hassan.
It is my urgent situation that make me to contact you immediately
through this means of communication (internet) as it is the best and
easiest way of immediate communication with you, My late father
during his life time is an exporter of gold and diamond based in
(Cote d'Ivoire) My late father got the infection (EBOLA VIRUS
DISEASE) during his trip to buy gold in (Conakry in Guinea) west
Africa with my mother. And that was how they got contaminated. My
father and my mother died of this uncontrollable Virus called (EBOLA).

For more details you can consult the website below:

Website: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/guinea/

I was in Cote d'Ivoire and was waiting for the returns of my father
when one early morning he called me and notified me that they are not
allow to leave the country,Guinea again because they have been
contaminated.

My late father later called and revealed to me that he has deposited
the sum of $4.5 million dollars in a safe box with a security company
here in Cote d'Ivoire before his travel and that he used my name as
his only child and next of kin. He revealed to me that during the time
of depositing the safe deposit box that he did not disclose the real
content of the box to the security company for safety and security
reasons.

He explained that he declared it as containing family valuables and
important business documents for security reasons. He told me that I
will need to present a guardian to the company according to the
agreement he made with the company before the safe box can be released
to me. He warned me that once I am successful in getting a trust
worthy person to assist me I should make sure that I leave Africa
immediately.

I have decided to source for a neutral person to assist me in
contacting the company as my guardian and business partner.

I am honorably seeking your understanding and assistance in the
following ways hoping you will be so kind to assist a lonely and
vulnerable woman.

1) To assist me and contact the company to shipped the safe box
containing the money to your country for investment.

2) To serve as the guardian of this funds and take me into your family.

3) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further
my education and to secure a residential permit for me in your
country. Moreover, I am willing to offer you 15% of the total sum as
compensation for your effort /input after the successful transfer of
this fund to your country.

I WILL BE VERY HAPPY IF YOU CAN SAVE MY LIFE AND HELP ME RECUPERATE
THIS SAFE BOX FROM THE COMPANY IN IVORY COAST TO YOUR COUNTRY SAFELY.
I will need the following information from you to enable me present
you to the company:

Your full name
Your private and direct telephone line
Your address
Your occupation

I will send you the contact of the company as soon as I hear back from you.

Thanks very much for your understanding
Awaiting your response
Yours sincerely.
Yasmin Hassan

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