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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: Mariah Blanchett <mariah.blanchett22@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2023 12:35:30 +0000
Subject: =?UTF-8?B?UmU6IOS7iuOBmeOBkOOBguOBquOBn+OBruWKqeOBkeOBjOW/heimgeOBp+OBme+8gQ==?=


Greetings from Mariah Blanchett

Excuse me for this sudden contact with you today as I believe that this
message may come to you as a surprise, I got your email address through an
online email directory, I really don't know how you will find my contacts
with you, I am a 22 years old girl without parents.

I am writing you this message with tears and sorrow and I know this message
may come to you as a surprise, Am the only daughter. My father was a very
wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan Ivory Coast (Côte D'ivoire) . My father
was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outings on
a business trip.

My mother died when I was a baby and since then my father has treated me so
special. Before the death of my father in a private hospital here in
Abidjan he secretly called me on his bed side and told me that he has the
sum of (5,500,000.00 Euros) five million five Hundred thousand Euros, in
one of the international banks here in Abidjan, he used my name as his only
daughter for the next of Kin in depositing of the fund. My late father
instructed me to seek a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I
will transfer this money and use it for investment purposes such as real
estate management or hotel management.

Please don't be surprised by my proposal, I was directed to you by God. I
have been in the hotel room since two weeks now looking for someone to even
trust to contact before I saw your profile On the internet because my uncle
is a drug addict and he did not care about me In 2019 my uncle sold all my
late fathers properties now he has found out that my late father deposited
this Fund in the bank with my name as his next of kin and he is requiring
me to follow him to the bank so that he can have access in my late father
Fund, Which I can never do that in my life because this fund is the only
thing that i have to set up my future so all my intentions now are to
transfer these funds out from my country for investment, I am seriously
having a difficult time here, I am writing this email from a local hotel
where I am currently hiding for my safety.

All I require from you is to assist me stand as the guardian and foreign
associate of my late father so that the bank will be able to release the
funds to your bank account in your country for investment so i'm honorably
seeking your assistance in the following ways:(1) To provide a bank account
in which this money would be transferred to .(2) To serve as my
guardian.(3) To make arrangements for me to come over to your country to
further my education.

I have all the account details which my late father used to deposit the
fund here in the hotel with me and the death certificate of my late father
and I have told the bank yesterday of my intention to move my funds abroad
and I promise that I will never betray or forsake you or ask you for any
money on this transaction. Though, the bank never told me that there will
be any expenses. But if the bank needs any money, I think I still have some
money in my local mobile money account, I can take care of it by myself

Note: I am willing to offer you 20% of the total sum as compensation for
your effort/ input after the successful transfer of this fund to your
nominated bank account so please I'll always be honest with you and I'm
promising with the grave of my parents that I will never forsake you in my
life. Please dearest, Never keep silent to me . Give me an answer so that
I will know what to do, Anticipating hearing from you soon.

Best regards,
Mariah Blanchett

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