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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "merdavila@intercable.net" <merdavila@intercable.net>
Reply-To: vernhetmarielouise@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 01:53:20 +0200
Subject: ORPHANAGE PROJECTS




Dear beloved,

My name is Marie-Louise Vernhet. I addressing this message to you might sound to you as a surprise, but I want you to know that you where being chosen amongst various emails for this project, please do accept it as a blessing from God made possible through a woman with a good and sincere heart towards the poor. Through these projects millions will be positively touched, though important, but through God nothing is impossible. Each day that passes by, I feel no improvement in my health as I do not know whether I will survive as I have undergone different surgical operations.
Beloved, each day that passes by, I am afraid to die, but life gives me no choice, but to answer the call; my prayer each day is to have a place in Heaven. I have suffered a lot as a result of this incurable sickness!

The only and most precious desire and highest help that I need from you at this point is to be in constant prayers with me as I believe you have an open heart and also believe in GOD. I would be so much happy to see that my funds are properly used to help the poor orphans, less privileged etc before leaving this world as this will be a great relieve for me and my soul. This is a great and huge responsibility to handle, but I do pray that God will be with you and give you strength and might to handle these projects, hence I am giving you these sum (¤5,250,000) Five million, two hundred & fifty thousand Euros, for you to handle it as it is yours with the sole and unique interest of helping the most less privileged. You will also be highly recompensed!

Many a times, I kept asking myself the need of being alive? What are the purposes of my existing in this world? I lived inutile; I do not have a child as a result of my sterility, but my only source of joy will be accomplished by reading from you and hearing that you also have a sincere heart towards the orphans and ready to handle these projects!

I am presently hospitalized as a result of my poor health: I will be very happy to read from you and also put you in contact with the institution in charge of the transaction in order to start all necessary procedures so as to enable you to have possession of my funds as soon as possible before my next surgical operations.

I looking forward to hearing from you while praying for God to be with you. Amen!




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