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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. Susan Williams." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <susanwilliams_2007@rediffmail.com>
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 1980 03:48:00 -0800
Subject: Dear friend in christ

Dear friend in christ,

kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you, I believe you
are a highly placed person .i am here because i know that there are lots of
people who can make a lots of difference if we talk, become good friends in
our lord, and see that with greater power comes greater responsibility. You
can make a change in the life of others, most especially the poor, needy, less
priviledge, widows and motherless.

firstly,i will start by properly introducing myself, I am Susan Williams, a
UK citizen and widow to Late John Edgar Williams, I am 57years old, and i am
suffering from long time cancer of the breast.

>From all indications, my condition is really deteriorating and is quite
obvious that I may not live more than two months after my next
surgery, because the cancer stage has gotten to a very severe stage.My
personal physician told me that I may not live for more than 2 months and i am
so scared about it. I have no child of mine, even though i wish i had one,it
is late now you know, since i can not get married again,and age is no longer
on my side.

Psamls 119:116- Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live, and let me
not ashamed of my hope.
Psalms 138: 7- Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou will revive
me......
Psalms 145:18Psalms 57: 7- My heart is fixed. O God my heart is fixed, I will
sing & give praise....
Psalms51: 17- The sacrifices of God are broken spirit, a broken & contrite
heart, O God thou will not despise.....
psalms 41: 1- Blessed is he that considereth the poor, the Lord will
deliver him in time of trouble....
Two of my favorite verses:
Philippians2:27- For indeed he was sick nigh unto death, but God had mercy on
him & that on him only, but on me also,lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.(
I always say this in my mind)

So, I now decide to divide part of my wealth, by contributing to the
development of the motherless baby homes, needy, poor, charity homes and
widows too. I am willing to donate the sum of $7.5million, which is still the
major inheritance i have left,i wish you could be someone whom i could trust
with all my heart,to make this wish of mine come true.
Please note that, this fund is deposited in my bank. so i need
you to use the funds to help the poor,i know this is hard, and it take
a very strong heart to get this done. But you should keep this saying in your
heart, I am like Moses in the Bible, he came to the Red Sea and Pharaoh behind
him and no way to turn but God delivered him all by a miraculous deliverance.
It will be a miracle from God to be able to help all the dear people God has
laid on our hearts.

This is why with God in my heart i have contacted you. I have come to find out
that wealth acquisition without Christ is vanity and i hope you will agree
with this also. I will be praying hard that Satan will not stop this effort.
Do contact me via this email: susanwilliams_2007@rediffmail.com and i will
tell you more of what you wish to know.

Waiting for you to write me back, God bless you.

Mrs. Susan Williams.

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