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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: "Matilda Erwin" <mrslme@charity.org>
Reply-To: matti.laihohelaf@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 30 May 2018 03:14:39 +0800
Subject: Dear beloved


Dear beloved one in christ,
I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I came across y=
our email contact from my personal search and I instructed the doctor here =
in these hospital to help me email you and I believe that you will be hones=
t to fulfill my final wish before I will die.
I am Mrs Lida Matilda Erwin from Fredonia, New york United State of americ=
a I am 63 years old,suffering from a long time cancer of the breast. From a=
ll indication my condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have cou=
rageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two months, this i=
s because the cancer stage has gotten to a critical stage. I was brought up=
in a motherless babies home, and was married to my late husband Thompson J=
ohnson Erwin for twenty two years without a child.
My husband and I are true Christians, since he was working here as a contr=
actor, but quite unfortunately,he died in a fatal motor accident. Since hi=
s death I decided not to re-marry and because of my bad stage of health,I s=
old all my inheritance and deposited all the total sum of $25 million dolla=
rs with a bank here in New York.
Presently this money is still in the Bank, and the management of the Bank =
just wrote me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the =
money after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorizatio=
n to somebody to receive it on my behalf as a result of my illness, or they=
get it confiscated. I'm with a laptop in a hospital where I have been unde=
rgoing treatment which i use with the assistance of the nurses and my docto=
r around.I have since lost my ability to talk properly and my doctors have =
told me that I have only a few months to live.
It is my last wish to see that this my hard earn money is invested in any =
organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charities =
organization, the poor and the motherless babies home where I came from. I =
want your good humanitarian,to also use these money to fund churches, orpha=
nages and widows within your reach.
I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take =
a bold step towards this issue because I have no further option, I hope you=
will help see my last wish come true.
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Bank. =
I will also issue a letter of authority to the bank, which will prove that =
you are the new beneficiary of my funds.Please assure me that you will act =
accordingly as I stated herein.Hope to hear from you soonest and the peace =
of they Lord be with you and your family, Attached is my pic to see what i =
look like.
Yours dying sister in Christ,
Linda Matilda Erwin

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