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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: Mark Mary <mary_2010mark@yahoo.co.jp>
Reply-To: Mark Mary <maryfour76@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2015 13:53:25 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Miss Mary Mark


Dear

Greetings, it is my pleasure to contact you after going through your profile .I expect that you are not going to let down this trust am about to repose on you for the fact that we have not yet known or written to each other before. Though I will not compel you to honor this proposal, against your will, but first let me introduce myself to you.

    My name is Miss Mary Mark from Ivory Coast West Africa.I am the only child of my late parents and that has made me to run away from our family house because my uncles and my step mother is after my life as they want to have full access to my inheritance.

    My dream is to find someone like you overseas whom I can trust with my future life and inheritance, also who can be able to assist me for relocation abroad and also assist me in my investment plans abroad.

    I have some reasonable amount worth $4.500,000 USd which I inherited from my late father who was a traditional ruler and an international business man before his sudden death.Presently I am ready to relocate out of this country and come over there to your area , in order to secure a resident permit and investment establishment in lucrative avenues.I wish to invest in areas like (Hospital Equipment, Transportation, Agricultural Project and Real Estate).

    I need to invest the money in your base because of  the political instability here .Please your assistance is highly needed to enable me achieve my educational career in your country.
    Your urgent response is needed so that I will give you full details on my plans for relocating to your country for these establishment.Please should in case if you are not in a good position to work with me on this aspect.I will appreciate you inform me immediately for more details.

Thank you and please consider my situation.

Yours truly,
Miss Mary Mark

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