419 scam: "Mrs. Patricia Maria Howard,"<mrsmarrisis@hotmail.com> Hello my beloved in the Lord.

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
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:
- "remain blessed" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
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.
- 11patricam@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Patricia Maria Howard," (may be fake)
Reply-To: <11patricam1@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 17:17:23 +0200
Subject: Hello my beloved in the Lord.

Hello my beloved in the Lord.
I am Mrs. Patricia Maria Howard, from republic of Ireland, born in the
state of Ohio USA. I am legally married to Mr. Michael woody Howard, a
south Africa citizen born brought up in Switzerland, I live in switzerland
with my husband for 32 years before we move down to south Africa in 1985
after my husband retirement in 1974, I am 74 years old by the grace of
god, I am a new Christian convert, suffering from long time cancer of the
breast. All indication from my doctor that my conditions is really
deteriorating and it is quite obvious that i wouldn't live more than two
months, my dear husband was involved with the January 2000 Kenya airways
plane crashed as you can see on the news line web site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6627485.stm
I choose you after viewing your profile and i have confident in you
because i have prayed. I am willing to d o n a t e the s u m of $20.5m U.S
dollars, to the less privileged. May the grace of our lord the love of god
and the fellowship of god be?
With you and your family?
I await urgent reply.
Remain blessed,
Get back to me on 11patricam@gmail.com
Mrs. Patricia Maria Howard.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam