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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: "Ms. Cristina Bruno" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <cristbru05@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2017 18:54:48 -0400
Subject: URGT ATTENT.


Dear Sir/Madam,

I am glad to take the chance to introduce my self to you.
I am Mrs. Cristina Bruno, the Administrative Manager at
financial and security vault of Institute here in
Madrid Spain.

I am contacting you based on a financial opportunity I
discovered here in our Bank (CAIXA BANK). It's about an
abandoned sum of $12.3M United States Dollars only, that
belongs to one of our foreign investor, a citizen of
People's Republic of China (PRC) that shares the same
surname with you who died along with his wife and two
daughters aged 12 and 9, during his vacation by a fatal
bus accident on Monday May 7, 2007. has killed 17 people
and injured 25 in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Since then, I have made several inquiries to your embassy
here to locate any of our clients extended relatives, this
has also proved unsuccessful. This man has been living in
Madrid Spain for more than 18 years without returning to
his hometown.

I am contacting you to help/assist in repatriating the
funds valued at $12.3M United States Dollars left behind
by our deceased client to you before it gets confiscated
or declared unserviceable by the Spanish Government due
to the Economics crisis here in the country.

I assure you that this transaction/deal is risk free and
its success is 100% guaranteed, I am prepared to compensate
you with a 40% share of the total funds for your assistance,
and 10% will be mapped out to offset any expenses during the
transaction. The final details will be given upon receipt
an affirmation of your desire to assist me. For more
details contact me on my private email: cristbru05@gmail.com

Best regards,
Mrs. Cristina Bruno

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