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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: "Bernard Madoff" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <benardmaadoff@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2016 10:32:45 -0800
Subject: Help Me Make a difference

Hello Dear
 
I am Bernard Madoff the founder of wall street firm Bernard L. Madoff investment securities LLC in 1960 and was the
 
former chairman of NASDAQ.I was accuses of  fraud worth over $170 billion dollars and was arrested on
Dec 11,2008 and on march 12,2009.I pled guilty to 11 federal crimes and admitted to operated the largest ponzi scheme
 
in history.
 
Let me not go into much details.I have more than 70 million Euros .This money nobody knows about it except my bank
 
officers because the money was deposited under serial codes.I need your help right now not only to reinvest the
 
money.50% will goes to charity and 20% will be mapped out for the promotion of gospel and building of churches and
 
mosques all over the world and 25% for you while 4% goes to the bank officials who will help you facilitate the
 
transaction
and 1% for my up keeping in the prison and i know that i will die soon because of my heart attack and kidney
 
cancer.please i want this business to be completed as soon as possible.
 
Kind respect
Bernard madoff

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