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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. Never ever send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally. )
  • "the consignment" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.
• 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.
  • nancyshermann@yahoo.dk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Nancy Shermann" <marta3@ldsliving.com>
Reply-To: shermannancy@ymail.com
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:37:46 +0100
Subject: Hello Dear.


Hello Dear.


I am Mrs Nancy Sherman from Netherlands,I am 58 years old,i am deaf and
suffering from a long time cancer of the breast ,from all indication my
conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that i can't work
or do any stressful thing, according to my doctors they have advised me that
i may not live for the next two months,this is because the cancer stage has
gotten to a very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home
was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child ,My Husband
(Patrick Sherman) died in a fatal motor accident Before his death we were
true Christians.


Since his death I decided not to re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings
and deposited all the sum of $8.6million dollars with a Security Company in
United states of America .Presently, this money is still with them and the
management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the
money for keeping it so long with attract a demurage fees as the security
fees paid by me has expired or rather issue a letter of authorization to
somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my
illness or they get it confisticated.So instead of getting it confiscated i
rather have someone whom i can trust to recieve the funds and utilise it
according to my wishes.And the best part of it is ,The security company told
me in the letter that they can have the consignment funds delivered to my
approved next of kin in his house if within USA or transfered to his bank
account and if outside USA then transfered to his or her bank account .



Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital in Frankfurt Germany where I
have been undergoing treatment for my sickness . I have since lost my
ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a 2 months to
live.



It is my last wish to see that this money is invested/donated to any
organisation/buisness of your choice and distributed each year among the
charity organization,E.g the poor homes,the motherless babies home where i
came from,the deaf homes,and churces etc .All i seek for is a God fearing
person like you ,who will carry out my last wishes and before i emailed you
today i prayed and the holy spirit gave me the confidence to send you this
email.I took this decision, before i rest in peace because my time will soon
be up.



As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security
Company in the USA.All i need from you is a confidential assurance that the
funds when recieved by you will be used for the said purpose,Nowadays there
are so much scams going on in the internet and it is diffcult to trust but i
dont know why the Holy spirit still approved me to email you about this out
of few email addresses i have from the internet,yours was the only one that
was approved for me to contact .



Waiting for your reply
Yours in Christ
Mrs Nancy Sherman



Please reply me with my private email address: nancyshermann@yahoo.dk

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam