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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.Linda Elizabeth Taylor" <elizabethtaylor@gazeta.pl>
Reply-To: mrs.lindaelizabethtaylor38@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 01:34:27 +0200
Subject: From: Mrs. Linda Elizabeth Taylor.


From: Mrs. Linda Elizabeth Taylor.

My Dear,

I am the above named person from Azerbaijan, I am married to late
Dr.Galib Taylor who worked with kuwait Embassy in ivory coast for nine years
before he died in the year 2000.We were married for fifteen years without a
child,he died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home.When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of
US$7Million (Seven Million U.S.Dollars)with a Finance House in Cotonou Benin
Republic for safe keeping as Funds Belonging to his foreign business
associate.

Presently,I'm in a hospital where I have been under going treatment for
oesophageal cancer,I have since lost the 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 amoung charitable organizations in your country,because
relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth since my illness,I
cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of
them again.

Please,I beg you in the name of God to help me retrieve this money as soon
as possible.I want you to handle this by using this money to fund
churches,orphanages and widows propagating the word of God and to ensure
that the less priveledged children are maintained with this money. I took
this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money, I
don't want a situation where this money will be used in uncharitable way.

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 you the contact of the
Accredited Lawyer incharge of the Fund who will advise you the best
procedure to get the money transferred to your account.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

Regards.
Mrs.Linda Elizabeth Taylor

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam