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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: "Mrs. Caldes Sanchez Maria" <caldessanchezmaria@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 01:50:22 +0100
Subject: An Important letter from Mrs. Caldes sanchez Maria

Hello,

My name is Mrs. Caldes Sanchez Maria, I am a dying woman who have decided to donate what I have to you / Church or any of your religious organization. I am 55 years old and I was diagnosed for cancer for about 2 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me everything he worked for.

I have been touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of God, rather than allow my greedy relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly. Please pray, that the good Lord forgive me my sins. I have asked God to forgive me and I believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation within the next few days.

I decided to WILL/donate the sum of US$8,500,000.00 (Eight million, five hundred thousand USdollars) to you for the good work of the Lord, 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 relatives are around me and my health status. I am adjusting my WILL and my family financial consultant is aware I am changing my will and they will arrange the transfer of the funds to you .I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others.

I will give you the contacts of my family financial consultant as soon as I hear from you so that you will tell them that I have WILLED (US$8,500,000.00) to you by quoting my personal reference number: FIN/DB/CAM /UK/WILL/0007433384 as I have also notified him that I would be WILLING that amount to you for a specific and good work. I know I don't know you but I have been directed to do this. Thanks and God bless.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. And Also I will be contacting with you by email as I don't want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Regards,

Mrs. Caldes Sanchez Maria


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