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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: "Rev. John Agbaragba CSSp" <mlttomas101@gmail.com>
Reply-To: revjohnagbaragba1@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2015 07:19:03 -0800
Subject: Vital information(Estate)

From: Rev. John Agbaragba CSSp (For Trustees)
NOTIFICATION OF BEQUEST.
On behalf of the Trustees and Executor of the estate of late Edwin Naughton,
I once again try to contact you as there was no response to my several letters.
I have reviewed all contact options, the only possible means to reach you is via
email, given the current circumstances that the residence address
contained in the WILL belongs to a non-relative of yours
that have never heard of you in the past. This email address was found along with
your address in one of his boxes at Bank Vault.

I write to inform you that late Edwin Naughton made you a beneficiary in his WILL.
He left the sum of Nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars (USD$9,500.000.00 )
for you.

This might sound strange and unbelievable to you since none of his family members,
business associates and close friends seems to know you, but this is real and true.
Being a widely travelled man, he must have been in contact with you in the past or
simply you were nominated to him by anyone that believe in your ability to
uses the funds in accordance to his heart desired.

Until his death, he was a member of the Helicopter Society and the Institute of
Electronic & Electrical Engineers, an oil wells owner, business contractor, an
Irish-American and a dedicated Catholic. His great philanthropy earned him
numerous awards during his life time.

He died on the 23rd day of September 2013 at the age of 63. Unfortunately,
you are the only beneficiary that have not receive his/her part of the
inheritance. According to him, ‘this money is to support programmes that
can help the poor or create employment’.

Please if I reach you as I am hopeful, endeavour to get back to me as soon
as possible with a signed copy of the form attached.
Sincerely,
Rev. John Agbaragba CSSp
revjohnagbaragba1@gmail.com

Anti-fraud resources: