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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: "MRS.JANET C. GANNON" <fbimcdn4@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrsjanetcganon1@gmail.com
Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2017 09:03:53 +0100
Subject: Greetings in the name of the LORD Almighty.

Dear Friend,

Greetings in the name of God Please let this not sound strange to you
for my only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this
year.

I prayed and got your email ID from your country guestbook. I am Mrs.
Janet C. Gannon from United States of America; I am 58 years old am
suffering from a long time Metastasis cancer 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 believers. Since his
death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings
and deposited all the sum of $10 million dollars with a Bank.

Presently, this money is still with the bank and the management just
wrote me to come forward and claim my money because they have kept it
for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to
receive it on my behalf since I cannot come over because of my illness
or they get it confiscated.

Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital here in Switzerland where
I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. 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 to any organization of your choice
and distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and
the motherless babies’ home.

I want you as God fearing person, to also use this money to fund
church, mosque, 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 Bank. I will also issue
you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary
of my fund. Provide your information so that a lawyer wills it to my
bank account officer and to enable me issue you a letter of
authorization.

FULL NAMES:__________SEX: _____ AGE: ______MARITAL
STATUS:_______________COUNTRY: ______CONTACT ADDRESS:
________________________PHONE NO#___________FAX NO#_________________
OCCUPATION:______________

PLEASE contact me through my private email address
mrsjanetcganon1@gmail.com HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON, AND ASSURE ME
THAT YOU WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY AS I STATED HEREIN.

May God bless your golden heart and soul.

WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY.

YOURS IN CHRIST,
MRS.JANET C. GANNON

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