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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: herman@indomatra.co.id
Reply-To: marilynjones701@aol.com
Date: 21 Jul 2019 16:31:23 -0700
Subject: I warmly greet you.


Dear ,

I warmly greet you.

Please forgive me if my plea sounds a little strange or
unbelievable to you. My family attorney who could have handled
the process of executing my WILL & TESTAMENT on my behalf died
early this year after a protracted illness. I therefore prayed
fervently and by the special grace of GOD, I got your email ID
from your country's guest book. I am Mrs. Mary Prescott, a native
of United Kingdom, I am 58 years old. I am suffering from
protracted cancer of the lungs which has also affected part of my
brain cells due to complications. From all indication, my
condition has deteriorated and it is quite obvious according to
my doctors that i may not live for the next couple of months,
because my condition has gotten to a critical and life
threatening stage.

I was orphaned at the age of four and was raised in an orphanage.
I was married to my late husband Engineer. Steve Prescott for
twenty years without a child. STEVE had cardiovascular condition
and died of cardiac arrest few years ago. I am a fervent Believer
and a God fearing woman just like my late husband. Steve and I
lived in Africa for over 18 years, where my husband a
petrochemical engineer by profession worked and rose through the
ranks to become an executive director with a multinational
construction and oil servicing conglomerate, before his demise.
He also established huge private investments that I assisted in
managing.

Sequel to the unfortunate and shocking demise of my priceless
husband, I decided as a rule not to re-marry. when my cancer
ailment became terminal & more so because I do not have a next of
kin to bequeath all that STEVE & I labored for, I sold off all
our choice properties and other inherited belongings comprising
of a shopping mall, a hotel, shares, bonds, jewelries and other
valuable family treasures and deposited the proceeds amounting to
USD 21,700,000.00 (TWENTY ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND
DOLLARS ONLY) with a Bank. As I write, this fund is still
deposited with the bank. The management of the bank just wrote me
as the sole owner because of the unserviceable status of the fund
and suggested to me in a 2 paragraph statement to issue a letter
of authorization to someone who can manage the fund on my behalf
because of my ill health and also threatened that the fund could
be confiscated upon my failure to adhere to their Banking rules
and regulations within a stipulated time frame.

I am presently at the intensive care unit of a London hospital,
located at Fulham road in West London. It is the leading cancer
treatment hospital in the world and I have been undergoing
treatment there for late-stage terminal cancer of the lungs. I am
computer literate and was fortunate enough to have my personal
laptop with me, hence I am writing from my sick bed. I rarely
talk; my doctors told me that I have only few months to live,
unless there is a divine intervention. It is my last WISH
therefore to see that 90% of this fund is invested in any
charitable organization of your choice and administered as you
may deem fit, especially to the orphanage homes and homes for
destitute and the mentally retarded. You can also extend some
part of the funds to churches and mosques and to those struck by
natural disaster, if you wish. 10% of the fund could also be
expended on cost of administration of LAST WILL & TESTAMENT and
also on logistic support and other sundry arrangements that you
may requires to in administering the fund.

I crave your indulgence as a God fearing individual and as
someone who cares for the less-privileged as much as I do, to
take it upon yourself and use this fund for the above mentioned
purposes, I took this painstaking decision in other to help
humanity in my little capacity before I rest in peace in the
bosom of GOD almighty. According to my physicians my time will
soon be up.

As soon as I receive your reply and personal information as
listed below, I shall give you the official contact of the bank
officials, to enable you contact the Bank without delays. I will
also issue you with a letter of authorization, so that my bankers
will recognize your status as the new beneficiary of the fund.

The letter of authorization will further prove that you are the
new beneficiary of my ESTATE, WILL & TESTAMENT. The funds have an
open beneficiary mandate and as such, it is whom I authorize or
appoint to act on my behalf that the Bank will recognize and
release the funds to. Please assure me that you will not treat
this offer with levity but will rather give my bequest continued
existence.

Send the information in this order:

(1) Your full names:................................
(2) Personal or official contact
address:................................
(3) Home or Office
phone#:..............................Cellphone#:.................
...............Fax:............................
(5) Occupation:................................
(6) Sex/Marital status:................................
(7) Private E-mail Address:................................

I am awaiting your kind response while craving your appreciation
of my present predicament.

Your friend in Christ,
Mrs. Mary Prescott
(London United Kingdom)
E-mail: mrs.maryprescott@gmail.com

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