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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs. Tumelo Tebogo." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrstumeltebogo@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2015 02:22:53 -0800
Subject: My dear, how are you today,

 
Dearly Beloved
 
 
Calvary greetings in the name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ Amen! With a heart heavy laden I write this email to you.  I am Mrs. Tumelo Tebogo, (Widow) from South Africa. I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to Mr. Masego Tebogo (A Rich Business Man). Before his sudden death in a fatal motor accident we were married for twenty years without a child. Besides, we were both true Christians before died and base on my love, care and compassion for him, I decided not to remarry. Hence I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited the sum of US$10,200,000.00 in the bank to start a charity organization.
 
 
Thereafter, I was diagnosed cancer of the lungs which also affected my brain, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating. My doctors told me that I may not live for the next two months because the cancer has gotten to a very bad stage. Presently I'm with my laptop in a hospital in Israel where I am undergoing treatment. Just few days ago, my bank management wrote me to come and break the deposit or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I cannot come over because of my illness, otherwise they will confiscate it. I tried contacting my lawyer to handle it and was informed he is dead.
 
 
Hence, I contacted you as God fearing person to accomplish my dying wish by claiming the money from the bank and use it to open a charity organization that will propagate the gospel of Christ, help the poor, the orphanages /less privileged people and widows. Consequently, you are requested to furnish me with the following information to enable me writing an authorization letter to the bank asking them to release the funds to you as my next of kin. YOUR FULL NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, SEX, AGE, MARITAL STATUS AND OCCUPATION.
 
 
As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank officer in charge of the funds and also issue them a letter of authorization to release the funds to you as my next of kin.
 
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Mrs. Tumelo Tebogo.
 
 

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