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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: Elizbeth Scotts <gordonheinz2013@gmail.com>
Reply-To: elizbethscotts551@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2014 05:54:15 +0200
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU?

Greetings to you in the most wonderful name of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. His richest blessings shall be upon you forever. I am
Elizbeth ,I am 51 years old from USA, i am deaf and suffering from a
long time cancer of the Lungs which also affected my brain, from all
indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite
obvious that, 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 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 the sum of $18.5million dollars with a
Security Company as a family treasure. Presently, this money is still
with them.

I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing
treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to
talk 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 organizations, the poor and the motherless babies home where I
come from. I want you a God fearing, to also use this money to fund
churches, orphanages and widows.

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. I will also issue you a letter of
authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my family
treasure ($18.5million) Please assure me that you will act accordingly
as I stated herein.

I shall wait at your prayerful reply.

Thanking you in His precious name.
Elizbeth Scotts

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