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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: STEPHANIE SHAWN <adamdougla103@gmail.com>
Reply-To: stephisshawns@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2021 10:40:36 +0200
Subject: THANK YOU SO MUCH


Good Day,
I am Mrs. Stephanie Shawn and I have decided to put my confidence on you by
donating this to the Charities, based on the instructions passed by my late
husband Mr. Steve H. Shawn. I am 70 years old and I am diagnosed with
cancer years ago, this happened before the death of my late husband who was
an engineer doing some government approved awarded contracts and other
private entities, this money I want to donate originates from over invoice
arranged by some government officials in favor of my late husband’s company
few years back, and accidentally my late husband died under one of the
heavy duty equipment at one of his construction sites, and we had not a
single child of our own to count on, I am highly touched to donate what I
have inherited from my late husband for an investment and the proceeds from
this investment will be channeled to the good work into charities. He
sounded a warning not to allow his relatives get involved in this left
fund. My health will not permit me to carry out some of these activities,
and I am afraid that I can possibly die each day that passes by, and life
may give me no choice than to answer the call any time God wants me back
home.

I managed to get your contact details online in my desperate search for a
trustworthy person to assist me invest in this transaction. I am also
highly worried about my health and other life challenges. Recently, the
doctors told me that I might not live longer, just a few months after they
diagnosed me with chronic/acute lymphoma or mellitus [leukemia], a blood
cancer in both the bone marrow and in the blood itself which leads to
serious bleeding and infection. I have been undergoing blood transfusion
and it gives me some concerns. I belong to the high class, but feed like a
leper as a result of my sickness. I want you to help out in carrying out my
last wish on earth which will be very profitable to us. The total amount I
want to WILL/Donate to you is the sum of $25.5 million US (Twenty Five
Million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) for an investment and
which I want you to distribute yearly from the proceeds of the investments
to any charity home and the rest for yourself and your family which I will
inform you on how to share the fund as a part of instructions left behind
by late husband towards the transfer of this sum of money.

And for further information please try to reply to me as much as you can.

Regards in sincerity,
STEPHANIE SHAWN

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