419 scam: "Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin"<irwin@irwin.org> Urgent Response Needed

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- elizabeth.irwin@aol.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <elizabeth.irwin@aol.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2014 13:47:01 +0100
Subject: Urgent Response Needed

Dear friend,

I wish you find it in your heart to forgive me if my letter does not meet you personal ethics, considering the fact that we do not know each other nor have met before. But after my incesant prayers for God direction, I was led to choose you for this great task.

I am a dying woman who has been diagnosed of an esophageal cancer of the lungs, and my condition presently is deteriorating, though what bothers me most is the stroke that I had added to the cancer, and the doctor confirmed to me that I have limited days to live.

Meanwhile, taking into consideration of this fact and illness that has befallen me, I have decided to seek for your assistance in carrying out my last wish, by helping me do the good work of the Lord, thereby assisting widows in the society, destitudes, disables and building an orphanage home after my name , with the sum of 6.7 Million GBP for this great project, as I have decided to make you the beneficiary to this sum which I inherited from my late husband who was a seasoned contractor with the Exxon Mobil Corporation and Shell Petroleum Company in Europe, before he died in a ghastly motor accident. If you are interested and willing to help carry out my last wish in doing the work of the Lord, do contact me via e-mail: elizabeth.irwin@aol.co.uk

I will provide you with more details as soon as I receive your positive response to my request.

Thanks.

Mrs. Elizabeth Irwin

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam