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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: "Mrs. Rose Edem Etok" <mrsroseetokedem@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2022 01:20:13 +0000
Subject: Re: Dear Friend,

Dear Friend,

I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great
sorrow in my heart, My Name is Mrs. Rose Edem Etok, I am a British
citizen and I am contacting you from a hospital in Burkina Faso (AMPO
International private hospital), I want to tell you this because I
don't have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to open
up to you, I am married to Mr. Edem Etok who worked with Tunisia
Ambassador in Burkina Faso for nine years before he died in the year
2015 and his also a politician before he died in the year 2015. We got
married in the year 2004 for eleven years without a child before he
died and after his death i can not be able to get hold of myself
because of the love we share together.

He died after a brief illness that lasted for only five days. after
his death I decided not to remarry, When my late husband was alive he
deposited the sum of US$ 6.500.000 million. ( Six Million Five hundred
Thousand Dollars) in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina
Faso in west Africa. Presently this money is still in the bank. He
made this money available from exportation of Gold from Burkina Faso
mining.

Recently, my doctor told me that I would not last for the period of
seven months due to cancer and stroke problems. The one that disturbs
me most is my stroke illness. Having known my condition I decided to
hand this money over to you to take care of the less-privileged
people, you will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct
herein. I want you to take 30 Percent of the total money for your
personal use. While 70% of the money you will use to build an
orphanage home in my name and help the poor people in the street. I
grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family member,
just to endeavor that the house of God is maintained. Am doing this so
that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul in paradise, because
this illness has suffered me so much.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the
bank in Burkina Faso and I will also instruct the Bank Manager to
issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present
beneficiary of the money in the bank that is if you assure me that you
will act accordingly as I Stated herein.

Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Rose Edem Etok

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