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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: Royce Edward <roycekitoko@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2022 23:05:39 +0000
Subject: Donation.

Donation.

Greetings, Based on your good profile, I want you to solicit help in
fulfilling my wish to help charity poor needy in your country, I am Mrs.
Royce Edward, I am married to Dr. Jedidiah Edward, the former president of
a mining company in Abidjan before he died. We were married for twenty-four
years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only
four days.

Since his death, I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of
$5million dollars in a bank. Presently, this money is still in the bank.
Recently, my doctor told me that I would not last for a period of six
months due to cancer. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness.
Having known my condition I decided to donate the fund because I cannot do
it alone by myself due to my current condition.

I want you to use this fund for orphanages, schools, and widows. Because I
understand that "Blessed is the hand that giveth" I took this decision
because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and I don't
want my husband's efforts to be in vain. I don't want a situation where
this money will be used in an ungodly way.

This is why I am making this decision. I am not afraid of death hence I
know where I am going. I don't need any telephone communication in this
regard because of my health, hence the presence of my husband's relatives
around me. I don't want them to know about this development.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank
and will also issue you an authority letter that will prove you the present
beneficiary of this fund. Any delay in your reply will give me room in
sourcing another individual for this same purpose. Please assure me that
you will act accordingly as I Stated herein. Hoping to receive your reply

Thanks.
Mrs.Royce Edward.

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