419 scam: "Grace Hansen"<grhansen1@yahoo.cn> Just Respond Only If you Can be This Reliable.

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Grace Hansen" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <grhansen@yahoo.cn>
Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 16:37:10 -0700
Subject: Just Respond Only If you Can be This Reliable.

Hello Dear

My name is Mrs. Grace Hansen I am 63 years old, I want to tell you a little about myself.
Actually i was raised in a motherless babies' home in Netherlands and i was married to my late husband for 21 years without
a child. He died in a motor accident and that gave me the biggest shock of my life. I am a dying woman who have decided to donate
what I have to you/churches/ motherless babies/less privileged/widows.I was diagnosed for cancer
for about 2 years ago. I have been touched by god to donate from what I have inherited from my late
husband to you for good work of god. I have asked god to forgive me and believe he has because he
is a merciful god. I will be going in for a surgery next week.I decided to WILL/donate the sum of
7.7 million dollars to you for the good work of god, and also to help the motherless and less
privilege and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone
calls right now due to the fact that my late husband relatives (That have squandered the all the funds
my late husband left) are around me and my health status also.

I wish you all the best and may the good god bless you abundantly, and please use the Funds judiciously
and always extend the good work to others. As soon you get back to me with your consent and information,
I shall give you info on what next to do so that you can recieve the funds from the security firm where
there were deposited, the security firm is based in Europe.
I know I don't know you, but I belive i have been directed to do this by god and i belive that you will use the funds for good,
effective and prudent work

Thanks and god bless.
Regards,
Mrs. Grace Hansen.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam