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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.FINN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <larsenffinn@gmx.com>
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 2013 11:58:38 +0530
Subject: FOR CHARITABLE

New Page 1

My dear how are you today,
I know this mail might come to you as a surprise, considering the fact that we don’t know each other, Please i must apologize for any embarrassment this may have caused you. Although my family attorney who could have handled the process of executing my WILL & TESTAMENT on my behalf died early this year after a protracted illness.

I got your email ID from your country's guest book and prayed fervently before I took courage to write to you. I am Mrs. Finn Frifeldt Larsen from Denmark, 68 yrs, a widow with no child with my late husband, am suffering from protracted cancer of the lungs which has also affected part of my brain cells due to complications. From all indication, my condition has deteriorated and it is quite obvious according to my doctors that i may not live for the next couple of months, because my condition has gotten to a critical and life threatening stage.

I was an orphaned at the age of four and was raised in an orphanage home and I got married to my late husband Engineer Kosele Larsen for Twenty-three years without a child and he had cardiovascular condition and died of cardiac arrest three years ago. I am a fervent Believer.

We lived in London for 17 years, where my husband a petrochemical Engineer by profession worked and rose through the ranks to become an Executive Director with a multinational construction and oil servicing conglomerate, before his demise. He also established huge private investments that i assisted in managing.

Sequel to the unfortunate and shocking death of my priceless husband, I decided as religious believe not to re-marry again. when my cancer ailment became terminal and more deplorable because i do not have a next of kin to bequeath all that husband & i labored for, I sold off all our choice properties and other inherited belongings and deposited the proceeds amounted to my Domiciliary Account with Woolwich bank London before I return back to my country for medical attention on this Cancer illness when it became severe.

Recently, The management of my bank (Woolwich bank London) officially wrote to me in a two paragraph statement to explained over the unserviceable status of my Account/fund which has been Dormant for long and threatened that the fund could be confiscated upon my failure to adhere to domiciliary Account regulatory policy within a stipulated time frame.

But when they got my quick respond, they were very surprised and sympathized over my present critical heath condition which they knew that it cannot warrant me to walk or move out from here in hospital and be present at the bank. So, they advised me to urgently issue a letter of authorization to someone who can manage the fund on my behalf to come forward and probably receiving the fund on my behalf. so, i assured them that I will delegate my Next of Kin (and that was the reason i contacted you) to inherit the fund.

Presently, the Hospital is about to be move me into the intensive Care Unit to undergo the seven surgery. I am computer literate and was fortunate enough to have my personal laptop with me, hence I am writing from my sick bed. I rarely talk, but my laptop will be taken once an move into intensive Care Unit.
As doctors confirmed that I have less than Two months to live unless there is a divine intervention, so, I shared my fortunes among individuals, Charity organizations and I "WILLED" (donated) my 6,370216.00US-dollars remaining balance in Domiciliary Account with Woolwich bank London to you for charity Work Especially for Cancer patients, homes for destitute, the mentally retarded and Orphanages home where i was raised and keep part of the principal amount to support yourself.

Note: It is my last WISH therefore to see that 90% of this fund is invested in any charitable organization of your choice in your country and beyond, administered as you may deem fit, if you wish. Let 10% of the fund could also be expended on cost of administration of WILL & TESTAMENT and also on logistic support and other sundry arrangements that you may require as soon as the fund gets to you.

I crave your indulgence as someone who cares for the less-privileged as much as i do, to take it upon yourself and use this fund for the above mentioned purposes; I took this painstaking decision in other to help humanity in my little capacity before i rest in peace in the bosom of lord. According to my physicians my time will soon be up.

As soon as I receive your reply and personal information as listed below, I shall give you the Woolwich bank London full contact to enable you reach them without delays. I will also issue my bank a Letter of Authorization that will recognize your status as my next of kin and the Fund new beneficiary ,which shall Legally empower them to carry out the Change of Ownership of the funds to your Name and release the total fund to you

Please assure me that you will not treat this offer with levity but will rather give my bequest continued existence. Send your below information through my private email: larsenfinn@homemail.com  which I shall use to obtain the Letter of Authorization herein your name and forward to the bank and copy to you. I need your followings:

(1) Your full names: =================
(2) Personal or office contact address =================
(3) Home or Office phone#:============Cell phone#:==========Fax#:=====
(4) Your Age: =============== (5) Occupation:=========
(6) Sex/Marital status:================(7) Private E-mail Address: =================

Awaiting your kind response while craving your appreciation of my predicament.
Yours sister,
Mrs. Finn Larsen
 

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