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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: "Toshiko Hagiwara" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <helpaa84@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Sep 2024 16:52:07 -0700
Subject: Re: Greetings to you...

Greetings,
 
I am Mrs. Toshiko Hagiwara from Saitama Prefecture Japan but I'm currently here in India Hospital, I'm suffering from a stage 4 colon cancer, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that I can't work or do any stressful thing, according to my doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the next two months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless baby's home because my mother died after my birth, and I was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child.
 
My Husband (Naoki Hagiwara) died on duty during his construction supervision work on a high rising building and fell from the elevator machine in Turkey but before his death we were true lovers because we believed that love never fails.
 
Since his death I decided not to remarry because of my old age, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited everything in the bank including his contract payment and benefits.
 
Presently, I am using the laptop of my personal nurse Michelle in the hospital here at Delhi Teaching Hospital India where I have been undergoing treatment for my sickness.
 
I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only 2 more months to live. It is my last wish to see at least 60% of the money in my account be invested or donated to any organization/business of your choice and the profits distributed each year among the charity organization, e.g. the poor homes, the motherless babies home where I came from but sadly the motherless home I was raised has since been closed.
 
What I seek for is a God fearing person like you, who will carry out my last wishes and before I emailed you today I prayed and had the confidence that I can trust you that is why I sent you this email.
 
I made this decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I will give you the necessary banking online details and contact information of my lawyer to contact him on my behalf.
 
All I need from you is a confidential assurance that the funds in my personal online account will be used for the said purpose, nowadays there is so much going on in the internet and it is difficult to trust but I have the belief that you can be trusted.
 
I wait for your reply
 
Yours in faithfully,
Mrs. Toshiko Hagiwara

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