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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: MARY JOHNSON <gerogeraoul1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: mrmaryjohnson02@rediff.com
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2021 14:14:18 +0000
Subject: REPLY / My Dearest.

<mrmaryjohnson02@rediff.com>Dearest,This is a Bequest notice.I am sure this
mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have never met before
and you would also be asking why I have decided to choose you amongst the
numerous internet users in the world, precisely I cannot say why I have
chosen you but do not be worried for I saw your profile on the Internet,
which has made me accomplish my request. May the almighty God bless and see
you through with this mission if you can carefully read and digest the
message below.Before I move further, permit me to give you a little of my
biography, I am Mother Mary Johnson, 67 Years old woman and the wife of
Late Sir Steve Johnson who died alongside our only child in a Plane crash
on Monday the 7th of September 1998 GMT 14:22 UK while they were flying
from New York to Geneva. Please see the site below for more information.
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html
<http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html>After the
death of my husband and son ,I became the Head of his investment and just
recently, the doctors handling my health issues at Cancer center: Christie
Hospital NHS Trust UK, have said I may not live beyond the next two months
after my next surgery,but before the death of my husband we had a plan to
use the last days of our lives to donate half of what we have worked for to
the less privilege and charity homes and the other half for ourselves,
family members and close friends, and it is so unfortunate that my husband
is not alive today to do this with me and I am very weak with cancer and
coupled with the recent announcement from the doctor, hence I have decided
to do this philanthropic work on behalf of my late husband and I.Presently,
I have willed out almost half of our assets to several charity homes and to
some of the less privileged in different countries. Despite the agreement
between my late husband and I to give aid to the deprived, we also agreed
to render support to an individual we have not met before in life due to
the fact when we were still young in life we received an anonymous help
from an individual we did not know and which we have not been able to know
till date, the impact we got from such gesture made us to do same.I am
sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance to know me because
I have just concluded the assignment which my husband and I have agreed
upon before his sudden death and you happened to be the beneficiary of our
last WILL, irrespective of your previous financial status, hence I need you
to do me a favor by accepting our offer.I have presently instructed my bank
manager to assist any person I will introduce to him as the beneficiary to
the last will in the sum of Ten Million United State Dollars
(10,000,000.00) with my bank in Nigeria the FIRST INLAND BANK NIGERIA PLC.
I decided to do this now unconditionally knowing that my days are
numbered.To conclude with this bequest, please provide me with your Data to
fully which I will use to write a Letter of Authorization on your behalf
and send it to the bank as my new Next of Kin.Full Names:Physical
address;Direct telephone numberOccupationNote: Please I do not want you to
thank me, same gesture was shown to us, all I need you to do is, When you
get this fund, use %15 for yourself and the rest to assist the less
privileged in your community and country,this is the only way to
immortalize us when I am gone.Reply me through my Private Email:
mj224294@gmail.com <mj224294@gmail.com>Yours FaithfullyMrs.Mary
JohnsonCancer Centre: Christie Hospital NHS Trust(Manchester, UK) North
West of England*

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