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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: RITA DON <shanko_koffi@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: rita1972don@hotmail.fr
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 2010 07:45:01 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Greeting From Rita Don


Greeting From Rita Don
Cocody Hospital
Rue 109-st
Abidjan Ivory Coast
West Africa
 
My Dear I Hope All Is Well With You and Also Your Family Menbers
 
How are you and how about your family members? Hope all is well with them and also with you, Greeting from Rita Don, God bless you for honouring my request, I hope you are having a wonderful day and also I pray that you and your family be under the protection of God almighty. After going through your short profile and I deemed it necessary to write you immediately, I know that my message will come to you as a surprise since I don’t know you in person or met with you before but I was touched to air up my pains to you believing in you for assisting.
 
But let me explain myself to you before going further. I am Ms Rita Don from Mali,
I am 37 years old, but I was with my husband in Abidjan Ivory Coast before his death, I am suffering from a long time cancer of the breast. By all indication my condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two months; this is because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage. It maybe surprise to you that I was raised in a motherless baby's home from Mali but my late husband came visiting the home and have interest in me,
 
I was married to my late husband for 13 years without a child. My husband and I are true Christians, but quite unfortunately, he was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outing to discuss on a business,  Since his death I decided not to re-marry, though my late husband made a deposit with a Bank here in Abidjan
capital city of Ivory Coast. Presently, this money is still in their custody, the entire cash left after his burial has blown like wind because of my illness and the management of the bank just wrote me as the next of kin to come further for the money though I have been there so many times before my illness but now that I can not continue going there.
 
I have been asked to seek for someone who will act on my behalf or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a result of my illness, or they  will get the account been put as unclaimed money.
 
But what complicated the whole issue is that my late husband left a rigid agreement that this money will be handling by a foreign investor under my supervision, Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since lost my ability to talk fluently because of illness and my doctors have told me that I
have only a few months to live. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless baby’s home where I was raised from since you are from outside our country it will suit my late husband's agreement with the bank.
 
I want a good humanitarian, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows around the world just as I was cared for when I know nothing in a motherless baby home. I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take a bold step towards this issue, and I hope you will help me see my last wish come true. I am willing to offer you 20% of the total sum as compensation for your effort. As soon as I hear from you I will give you the contact information’s of my church pastor for you to be familiar with him as he will guild you for the success of this transfer since he is here present and because of my illness I will not be able to follow up things the way it should so he will direct you more even if I die he will be here to carry out my last wish with you.
 
I have attached my personal photo in here for you to see me though it was picture taken before my illness,
 
Am waiting for your urgent reply 
 
God bless you.
 
Sister  
 
Rita Don




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