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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. Patricia James" <pauloantonio787fine@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrspatriciajames21@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2021 01:33:14 -0700
Subject: REMAIN BLESSED

* Good Day.*









* My name is Mrs. Patricia James from Norway. I know that this message
will be a surprise to you. Firstly, I am married to Mr. James Nathan, A
gold merchant who owns a small gold Mine in Burkina Faso; He died of
Cardiovascular Disease in mid-March 2016. During his life time he deposited
the sum of (Seven Million Dollars) with my name as the legal rightful
appointed beneficiary to the fund in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city
of Burkina Faso.The deposited money was from the sale of the shares, death
benefits payment and entitlements of my deceased husband by his company. I
am sending this message to you praying that it will reach you in good
health, since I am not in good health in which I sleep every night without
knowing if I may be alive to see the next day. I am suffering from long
time cancer and presently I am partially suffering from a stroke illness
which has become almost impossible for me to move around. I was married to
my late husband for over 19 years before he died and unfortunately that we
don't have a child, my doctor confided in me that i have less chance to
live. Having known my health condition, I decided to contact you to claim
the fund since I don't have any relation, I grew up from the orphanage
home, I have decided to donate what I have to you for the support of
helping Motherless babies/Less privileged/Widows' because I am dying and
diagnosed of cancer for about 2 years ago. I have been touched by God
Almighty to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you
for good work of God Almighty. I have asked Almighty God to forgive me and
I believe he has, because He is a Merciful God I will be going in for an
operation surgery soon This is the reason i need your services to stand as
my next of kin or an executor to claim the funds for charity purposes. If
this money remains unclaimed after my death, the bank executives or the
government will take the money as unclaimed fund and maybe use it for
selfish and worthless ventures, I need a very honest person who can claim
this money and use it for Charity works, for orphanages, widows and also
build schools for less privilege that will be named after my late husband
and my name; I need your urgent answer to know if you will be able to
execute this project, and I will give you more information on how the fund
will be transferred to your bank account. Best Regard. Mrs.Patricia James.*

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