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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: Mavelous Kone <mavelous1996@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Mavelous Kone <mavelous1995@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2015 01:34:30 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Mavelous Kone


>From Master Mavelous Kone
Cote d'Iviore in West Africa

Dear

Permit me to inform you of my desire of going into business relationship with you, My Name is Master Mavelous Kone the only Son of late Mr and Mrs Abraham Kone i am 17 year's old My father was a very wealthy Cocoa merchant in Cote d'Ivoire in west Africa.

My father was shot during the political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire in 2011 and he was rushed to hospital but he did not survive the gun shot and died, before his death he told me that he deposited the sum of (USD $12.3 TWELVE MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS ) in a security company here in Cote d’Ivoire which he put in a trunk box and registered it as family treasury, because he don't want the security company to know the content of the trunk box for the safety of the money. 

I want you to help me secure this my inheritance from my late father as my late father's foreign business partner because my mother died when i was four years. also know you will help me come over to your country to continue my education while you will help me invest the money for me in a good business.

I have gone to the security company here and confirm the deposit, I will compensate you with 30% of this money if you help me secure this box from the security company here. l hope you will not betray the trust i have on you because this money is my only surviving hope in this life.

I can assure you there is No Risk involve the money is my inheritance from my late father.

I am waiting to hear from you.

Mavelous Kone

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