419 scam: Helen Philips <helenphilips001@info2link.biz> Hi dear, I offer this from my heart

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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:

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:
- "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)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "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.
- hellenphilips44@yahoo.co.nz (Yahoo, New Zealand; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: Helen Philips <helenphilips001@info2link.biz>
Reply-To: hellenphilips44@yahoo.co.nz
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:03:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Hi dear, I offer this from my heart

Hi dear, I offer this from my heart

I am Mrs Helen Philips. from Ivory Coast ,I am 58 years old,i am 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 (johnson Philips) died in a fatal motor accident.
Since his death I decided not to re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of USD3.5million dollars with a Bank here in Ivory Coast but later I instructed the bank to move the funds to United states of America where i intended investing the money in Real Estate.Presently, this money is still with the bank in USA and the bank just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money which i have explained to them my situation then they advised i 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 or return back to the US treasury Department as unclaimed fund and instead of getting it confiscated i rather have someone whom i can trust to recieve the funds and utilise it according to my wishes.

Presently, I'm in a hospital in Ivory coast 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 less than three months to live that it has gotten to chronic stage.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested/donated to any individual of my 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 put confidence to send you this email. I took this decision today.

As soon as I receive your reply with your your contact details such as phone or mobile contact, name and address I shall give you the contact of the bank in Florida USA where the fund is deposited. 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 my Faith still approved me to email you about this.

Waiting for your URGENT reply at [ hellenphilips44@yahoo.co.nz ]
God Bless you,
Mrs Helen Philips.

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