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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: Noffi Smith <noffi_smith1@mail.ru>
Reply-To: Noffi Smith <noffi_smith@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2015 02:15:42 +0900 (JST)
Subject: Dear God's Select.


Dear God's Select.

I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great sorrow in my heart.
My name is Mrs.Noffi Smith from Cyprus, 55years old an ageing widow and a Cancer patient I want to tell you this because I don't have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to open up to you.


I am married to Mr.Christopher Smith who worked with Syplus embassy in cote d’ivoire for nine years before he died in the year 2009. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Since his death I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home which the Bible is against.


When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$ 7.5m (Seven Million Five hundred Thousand Dollars) in a fixed
suspense account with one of the Bank in Abidjan the capital city of  Cote D'Ivoire in west Africa. Presently this money is still in the Bank and my late husband made this money available for exportation of Gold from Burkina Faso mining before his death.


Recently, My Doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven months due to my cancer problem and the one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Having known my condition, So I decided to donate this fund to church or better still a Christian individual that will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here in to take care of the less-privileged.
 

I want you to take 20% of the total money for your personal use While 80% of the money will go to charity homes like peoples in the streets, churches, orphanages and widows. I took this decision because I grew up as an Orphan, and I don’t have any child that will inherit this money and my husband
relatives are not Christians, and I don’t want my husband’s hard earned money to be misused by unbelievers.
 

I don’t want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner and that is my reason for taking this bold decision. I am not afraid of death anyway because I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace, Amen.
 

So dear Consider this and as soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Bank in Cote D'Ivoire and I will also instruct the Bank Director to issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money in there Bank, that is if you assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.
 

Hoping to receive your reply:
From Mrs Noffi  Smith.

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