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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: "Mr Brown" (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2023 11:25:43 -0700
Subject: From Mr Brown

Dear Friend,

I know this will come to you as a surprise because you do not know
me \I am Mr. Brown I work in the central bank of Nigeria packaging and
courier department. I got your contact in my search for an honest
person through one of my colleagues here in the central bank that said
that I could confide in you.

I want you to help me clear this package that is already in
London, which I shipped through our Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
accredited courier agent but the contents of the package is Ten
Million United States Dollars Only ($10,000,000.00) all in $100.00
bills, but the courier company does not know that it is money that I
have in the package.

All I want you to do for me now is this give me your mailing address
your private phone and fax and I hope that at the end of the day, you
will have 30% for your investment in clearance role once package gets into your country
and 70% will be for me. My identity must not be revealed
to anybody.

If this arrangement is ok by you, you can contact me through this
E-mail address (smithmrs403@gmail.com) for security reasons other
modalities will be discussed as soon as you get back to me including
sending of the keys to the boxes to you.

Yours faithfully,
Mr Brown
Courier Department

Anti-fraud resources: