419 scam: "Luanna"<ls2011@live.com.my> Do you know any Patrick Ali?

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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:
- "demurrage fee" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "demurrage " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "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: "Luanna" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <luannali1@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:48:47 -0700
Subject: Do you know any Patrick Ali?

Good Day

I am Mrs.Luanna Ali. from Switzerland,I am 68 years old and am suffering from a long time cancer of the breast, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that i can't work or do any stressful thing according to my doctors. They have advised me that i may not live for the next two months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home and married to my late husband for twenty years without a child,

My Husband (Patrick Ali) died in a fatal motor accident and before his death we were converted true Christians.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $5.6 million dollars with a Security Company which i will tell you later.

Presently, this money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long which attracts a demurrage fees as the security fees paid by me has expired or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it confiscated.

So based on this advise given and instead of getting it confiscated i rather have someone whom i can trust to receive the funds and utilize it according to my wishes. my wish is that 70% of the $5.6 million should be giving to the refugee and widows around asia and you can use the 30% to help yourself since I do not have more than two months to leave in this world and my health insurrance already covers my hospital billings.

All i need from you is a confidential assurance that the funds when received by you will be used for the said purpose, it is difficult to trust but i don't know why the Holy spirit still approved me to email you about this out of few contacts i have from the internet, below you can take a look of my pictures and see the situation which this sickness have taking me into.

May God bless you as you help me to fulfill my obligations.

Waiting for your reply

Yours in Christ,

Mrs.Luanna Ali

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