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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: "St Marys Catholic Church" <parishcouncel1@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: parishcouncel12@yahoo.fr
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 02:09:37 +0100
Subject: Bequest Notification(Respond Urgently)

Dearest in Christ ,

I am Fr.Martin Seda ,trustee to the Will of the late Dr. PAPA ISHWARDS
HOTCHAND MAHTANI. I have instructions from the trustess to contact you
for the notice of bequest from Late PAPA ISHWARDS HOTCHAND MAHTANI. I write
to notify you that he made you a beneficiary to the bequest sum of Eight
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars(US$850,000.00) in the codicil to his will
and last testament.

Late PAPA ISHWARDS HOTCHAND MAHTANI. died on 1st June 2005 after a brief
illness at the age of 82. The late PAPA ISHWARDS HOTCHAND MAHTANI until his
death was Chairman of churchgate Group, a member of several
non-governmental organisations and he was also great philanthropist.He was
a very dedicated Christain,a Pilgrim and Benefactor who lived a life of
Charity.

This bequest is for support of your Christain activities,humanitarian
sevices and help to the less-privelleged and poor.Please i request that you
immediately contact the attorney/executor to this will with your Current
Address,Telephone and Fax numbers for easy communication from the
executors.

At the receipt of your reply ,I shall communicate the attorney to contact
you with further procedures to enable release of the bequest to you as
bonafide beneficiary Please acknowledge the receipt of this letter.

Looking forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.
Yours in his Service,

Fr Seda

_________________________________________________________________
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