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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: "MS. CHRISTY L. ZUPPA" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <christylzuppa01@outlook.com>
Date: Thu, 13 Oct 2016 04:11:34 -0500
Subject: AWAITING YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.

HELLO MY FRIEND, GOOD MORNING AND HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?
 
 
I KNOW YOU MAY BE WONDERING HOW I CAME ABOUT YOUR INFORMATION AND HOW COME YOU ARE GETTING THIS KIND OF MESSAGE FROM A COMPLETE AND TOTAL STRANGER YOU HAVE NEVER MET BEFORE, I HAVE BEEN RUNNING A PERSONAL CHARITY DEEDS FOR NEED AND HELPLESS FOR FEW YEARS BEFORE I AM CURRENTLY DOWN ON THE SICK BED WITH CANCER AND I AM USING THIS AS THE ONLY MEDIUM TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AT THE MOMENT DUE TO MY PRESENT HEALTH CONDITION.
 
 
IN BRIEF MY NAME IS CHRISTY L. ZUPPA, FROM NEW JERSEY UNITED STATES. I RESIDE HERE IN 10 MASTERS ROAD BRICK NJ 08724.  I WANT TO PASS THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO YOU DUE TO MY PRESENT CONDITION AND I WANT YOU TO MAKE USE OF IT VERY WELL WHEN IT GETS TO YOU. I HAVE BEEN HELPING THE NEED AND THE HELPLESS IN THE COUNTRY FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, AS I HAVE ONLY FOLLOWED WHAT GOD HAD COMMANDED TO HELP WHO YOU COULD, AS A RESULT I HAVE BEEN DOING THE BEST I COULD OVER THE YEARS BEFORE I LOST MY HUSBAND AND THREE CHILDREN THROUGH A CAR ACCIDENT.
 
NOW I AM DOWN ON THE SICK BED WITH CANCER WHICH I KNOW THE LORD COULD HEAL ME IF HE WANTS AND TAKE ME TO HIS SIDE IF THAT BE HIS WISH. I OWN A PRIVATE BUSINESS WHICH FLOURISHED OVER THE YEARS, WITH A LOT OF FORTUNE I HAVE FOUND DOING MY BUSINESS BOTH IN THE STATES AND OVERSEAS BEFORE I LOST MY FAMILY IN A CAR CRASH. BEING THROUGH ALL THESE I HAVE DECIDED TO DO ONE FINAL GOOD DEED AS I HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS TO LOOK FOR SOMEONE, ANYONE TO REACH THROUGH TO YOUR NEED AND HELP YOU. AT LEAST ALL THE WEALTH I HAVE GATHERED NOT TO BE ALL WASTED.
 
 
AFTER THIS DECISION OF MINE, I CAME ACROSS YOUR CONTACT DETAILS IN THE INTERNET DIRECTORY WHICH I HAVE DECIDE TO GIVE YOU TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ( $2,300,000.00 USD) IN MY ACCOUNT WITH THE BANK OF AMERICA, I KNOW THIS MAY SOUND STRANGE TO YOU BUT I SWEAR IT TO YOU THAT THIS IS REAL AND THERE IS NO CATCH TO IT AT ALL I AM GOING TO HELP YOU, MAYBE GOD HAD PUT THIS IN MY HEART TO DO BECAUSE HE FINALLY WANTS TO ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS, I WILL HELP YOU FINANCIALLY, IF YOU NEED THIS HELP I HAVE OFFERED PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
 
 
WARM REGARDS,
CHRISTY L. ZUPPA

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