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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: Henry Martins <ericmaurice378@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hm7159787@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2022 10:14:39 +0100
Subject: Please get back to me


Dear sir,

With due respect and regards to your person. I am Henry Martins. I got your
email contact through a business trade journal which I hope will not be an
embarrassment to your person as we have not known each other before.

As already explained I am Henry Martins, secretary to a committee setup
three and half years ago by the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria to award and oversee contracts on TURN –AROUND MAINTENANCE in our
OIL and GAS Sector. In the course of our commission, we awarded contracts
to foreign companies to the tune of Two Hundred and Ninety- Three Million
United States Dollars (USD293M). The actual cost of the contracts was Two
Hundred and Forty-Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States
Dollars (US$247.5m) only but we deliberately inflated the contract sum to
the turn of Forty-Five Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars
(US$45.5m) for our mutual benefit.

Now the contracts have been fully executed and the government wants to pay
off the remaining balance to the contractors and based on these my
committee has mandated me as the Secretary to negotiate with a trust worthy
foreigner who will assist and cooperate with us to receive this
over-Invoiced (45.5m) for our mutual benefit hence my earlier email to you.
If you will be interested, kindly get back to me for detail procedures of
this transaction.

However, be rest assured that you do not face any risk as our personalities
will be taken good care off. Please feel free to ask question/s on any area
you would like to be clarified.

Thanks as I wait for your urgent response.

Kind regards,
Henry Martins.

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