419 scam: SS

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- mailofficegov23@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From:
Reply-To: "mailofficegov23@gmail.com" <mailofficegov23@gmail.com>
Date:
Subject: SS

My name is Warren Buffett, An American business magnate, investor, speaker and philanthropist who serves as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, The Buffett Foundation is a charitable organization formed 1964 in Omaha, Nebraska, by me (Warren Buffett) as a vehicle to manage my charitable giving so i have decided to give away $27,900,000.00 each to two unknown randomly selected individual Emails online, I simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful. Price is what you pay. Value is what you get, someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

You have been selected to receive this $27,900,000.00, as a lucky one confirm back to me that this selected unknown email is valid, Visit the web page to know more about me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

Get me back to me on my private email: mailofficegov23@gmail.com

Best Regards
Warren Buffett Foundation
CEO BERKSHIRE

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam