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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: mwilson1@terra.com
Date:
Subject:

Dearest Beloved,

After going through your profile I decided to co= ntact you for friendship and assistance and distribution of my inheritances= have to say that I have no intentions of causing you any Pains so I decide= d to contact you through this medium. I got your Contact through a personal= search via the internet.

As you read this, I don't want you to feel= sorry for me, because, I Believe everyone will die someday but the most im= portant thing here is that I am dying in the Lord.

My name is Mrs.Ma= ry Wilson I am a dying woman who have decided to donate What I have to you/= church/charity Organizations. I am 54 years old and I was diagnosed with o= esophageal Cancer for about 7 Years ago and now I cannot hear and speak any= more, I am married to Sir Gerald Wilson Owen who worked with British Judici= al Commission in Chelsea England for over a decade and also worked at the b= ritish consulate at Abidjan Cote d Ivoire  before he died on 5th of Ju= ly in the year 1989. We were married for fifteen years without a child and = he has left me everything he worked for.

I have not particularly liv= ed my life so well, as I never really cared For anyone. Though I am very ri= ch, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on = my self as that was the only thing I Cared for.

But now I regret all= this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or= make all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chan= ce to come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I ha= ve lived it. Now that I know My time is near I have been touched by God to = donate from what I have Inherited from my late husband for the good work of= God, rather than Allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds un= godly.

Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do thi= s my self any more. I once asked members of my family to Close one of my ac= counts and donate the money, which I have there to Charity organization in = Bulgaria; they refused and kept the money to themselves.  Hence, I do = not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contended With what I have l= eft for them. The last of my money which is the huge Cash deposit of $3,000= ,000.00 Three Million United States Dollars that I have with Financial Firm= in Abidjan Cote D Ivoire.

I will want you to Help me collect this d= eposit and dispatched it to charity organizations And let them know that it= is me Mary Wilson that is making this Generous donation.

I am writi= ng this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I wait for my time= to come. I pray that God uses you to support and assist me with good heart= Please pray that the good Lord forgives me my sins. I have asked God to Fo= rgive me and I believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going= in for an operation in less than few days. I decided to WILL/donate the mo= ney to you for the good work of the lord, And also to help the motherless a= nd less privilege and also for the Assistance of the widows according to (J= AMES 1:27).

I took this decision because I do not have any child tha= t will inherit this money and my husband relatives are not inclined to help= ing poor Persons and I do not want my husband's hard earned money to be mis= used Or spent in the manner in which my late husband did not specify. = At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the Fact = that I cannot talk or hear anymore.

I wish you All the best and May = the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use The funds well and alway= s extend the good work to others. please send me your reply to this my priv= ate email address to enable me to give you instruction on what you have to = do, mwilson01@terra.com

Regards,
Mary Wilson Mrs.

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