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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 Melissa Pointer <melipointer@yahoo.gr>
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2006 03:42:43 -0500
Subject: Dearly Beloved in Christ


Dearly Beloved in Christ,
It is by the grace of God that I received Christ,having known the
truth,I had no choice than to do what is lawful and right in the
sight of God for eternal life and in the sight of man for witness of
God & his mercies and glory upon my life.

I am Mrs.Melissa Pointer the wife of Mr Harry Pointer,my husband
worked with theChevron/Texaco in Kenya for twenty years before he
died in the year2001.We were married for ten years without a
child.My Husband died after a brief illness that lasted for only
four days.

Before his death we were both born again Christians. Since his death
I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home
which the Bible is against.When my late husband was alive he
deposited the sum of US$3.5M.(Three Million Five Hundred Thousand
U.S.Dollars) with a Bank in Europe.Presently,this money is still
with the Bank and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to
come forward to sign forthe release of this money or rather issue a
letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I
can not come over.

Presently,I'm in a hospital in Kenya where I have been under going
treatment for esophageal cancer.I have since lost my ability to talk
and my doctors have told me that I have only a few weeks to live.It
is my last wish to see this money distributed to charity
organizations anywhere in the World.Because relatives and friends
have plundered somuch of my wealth since my illness,I cannot live
with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of
them. Please, I beg you in the name of God to help me Stand and
collect the Funds from the Bank. I want a person that is God fearing
that will use this money to fund churches,orphanages and widows
propagating the word of God and to ensurethat the house of God is
maintained.

The Bible made us to understandthat blessed is the hand that
giveth.I took this decision because I don't have any child that will
inherit this money and my husbandrelatives are not Christians and I
don't want my husband's hard earned money to be misused by
unbelievers.I don't want a situation where this money will be used
in an ungodly manner.Hence the reason for taking thisbold decision.I
am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going.I know that I
am going to be in the
bosom of the Lord.

Exodus{14 VS14}says that the lord will fight my case and I shall
hold my peace.I don't need any telephone communication in this
regard because of my soundless voice and presence of my husband's
relatives around me always.I don't want them to know about this
development. With God all things are possible. As soon as I receive
your reply I shall give youthe contact of my
attorney who is in Europe as he will be the one to assist you in
laying claims for this funds.
Please send your reply to my personal email;
melipointer@yahoo.gr

Your Sister in Christ,

Mrs.Melissa Pointer.


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