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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: "BROWELL NATHAN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <engr.nathanbrowell1941@live.com>
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2015 06:39:13 +0800
Subject: REPLY ME FAST.

Hello My Dear in the Lord,
 
I crave your indulgence at this mail coming from somebody like me, whom you do not know before. I decided to do this after praying over the situation. You should please consider the transaction on its content and not the fact that you have not known me before. I need not dwell on how I came by your contact information because there are many such possibilities these days� would like to introduce myself as Mr. Nathan Browell, of united Arab Emirate (DUBAI),widow to Late Mrs. Ruth Browell manager Daewoo in Madrid Spain. I have been recently diagnosed Cancer of the Pelvic. I am writing to you now from my sick bed because of how this transfer is urgent to me.
 
There is $26.5M (twenty six Million Five Hundred United State Dollars) my wife has in an account with the Islamic Bank, Dubai of which I am the next of kin.
 
With my health condition and because my wife and I have no children, I am looking for a credible person that will not betrayed me to whom I will pass the right of next of kin . This person will apply to the bank and request for the transfer of the fund to his/her bank account.
 
This is on the condition that you will take only 30% of the fund for yourself, 10% used for expenses, while you will use the remaining 60%for the less privilege people in the society.
 
This is in fulfillment of the last request of my wife: that a substantial part of the fund be used to carter for the less privileged. If this conditions acceptable to you, you should contact me immediately with your full contact information below;
 
Your full name...................................................,
Your Address....................................................,
Your telephone Number and Fax Number........,
Your Occupation.................................................,
Your Age............................................................,
 
So that I will ask our family lawyer to prepare the authorization that will give you the right of next of kin to the account in the bank. I will also give you a text of the application Letter you are to send to the bank.
 
I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time the fund will be transferred into your account, but you should please ensure that the fund is used as i have described above. I will like you to contact my private doctor on his direct telephone number as stated below: +1209 8317242. to inform him that you have sent me a message, so that i will reply you by sending you a letter of claim.
 
Looking forward to your immediate response to this my email address above and your information if you are willing to assist me on this project.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Nathan

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