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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: "Mr.John Uzo" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnuzo83@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 3 May 2015 05:36:01 -0700
Subject: Read and Reply.

Dear Sir/ Madam,
Please if you made any payment to any one in the past or present through Western Union/Money Gram/Bank Transfer/ for any kind of transaction contract payment/Inheritance Fund/Lottery Fund/Jackpot/and so on.
Please you are hereby advised to send a copy of the payment slip you used if it’s Western Union/Money Gram or Bank Transfer, Just send the copy of the slip transaction to proof that you were scammed before.
If you don’t keep any record of your payment then send to me the email you have being receiving from the people that scammed you or any prove that will enable us to verify and then approve your compensation of $800,000.00 ( Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars). As it was instructed by the United Nation(UN) in Collaboration with Africa Union(AU) to pay the sum of $800,000.00 to each of the scam victims.
Yours sincerely,
Mr.John Uzo

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