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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. Mary Edward" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <maryedward010@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 00:41:48 -0400
Subject: DONATION

 
Dear Friend,
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am Mrs. Mary Edward, a widow to Late Mr. Johnson Edward. I am 74years old now a new Christian convert suffering from long time cancer of the breast. From all indications my condition is really deteriorating and its quite obvious that I wont live more than next two months according to my doctors. this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. My late husband was killed during the Earthquake resulting to the Tsunami Incident in Indonesian, and during the period of our marriage we did not produce any child. My late husband was an Oil machant and very wealthy, after his death, I inherited all his business and wealth.
I selected you after visiting the Directory in search of a reliable Church or a True God Fearing person whom God will guide me to trust. Though, I choose to reach you through Email, because it remains the fastest medium of communication and I prayed over it, I am willing to donate the sum of 6.5M (Six Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) to you, for you to help me distribute to less privileges in your country.
 
I have willed and given most of my property and assets to my immediate and extended family members, as well as a few close friends. I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul. Now, I have decided to give also to less privileges in Africa Asia and America. As I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.
 
So far, I have distributed over (?20Million) to some church and Mosque in Africa. Also, some charity organizations in U.A.E, Algeria, Malaysia and South Africa. Now that my doctor has advised me that I may not live for more than two months, and my health has deteriorated so badly, that I cannot do this myself anymore. I have decided to donate the last money to Churches and less priviledge.
I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and distribute the money I have in the account in Swizerland to charity organization in Bulgaria and Pakistan, they refused and kept the money to themselves. Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contented with what I have left for them. Even my Attorney Barr. Lane John George want me to permit him to handle the Donation himself but the spirit of God in me never accepted that, because the love of money may lead him to divert the money to another use. I told him that my friend (YOU) will contact him any moment for the release of the funds to your account. I told him that you are my friend because he may be wondering how come i know you.
 
You may be wondering how I come to trust you, I want you to know and believe one thing that the Spirit of God guides me to contact you and the Spirit of God can never lie, Because God knows that you can handle this.Please I want you to note that, you will give me assurance that as soon as you receive the money, you will distribute 40% to the less privileges around you, you will use 50% to build Charity Organization home which will be named after me, while you will use the remaining 10% for yourself. I deposited the Money with  Security Company here with open next of kin, upon my instructions, you will file in an application for the claim of the money in your name.
 
I just manage to write out this letter to you, which I pleaded to one of the nurses here to help me type it out for my endorsement. I am not allowed to answer Telephone calls here, I am only allowed to check my Email twice a week.
 
Kindly Contact Me through My personal attorney Barr. Uzoh King. As I have discussed with him yesterday while he visited me here in the hospital that you (My friend) will contact him, and he will forward all the necessary Documents to you Including my Photograph and advice you on how you will claim the money.
My Lawyers name; Bar.Uzoh King
His Tel: +234-90-92085318
Email; baruzohking@yahoo.com
Please contact him but do not fail to tell him that you are my old friend.
 
Lastly, I honestly pray that this money when claimed will be used for the said purpose, because I have come to find out that wealth acquisition without God is vanity upon vanity. May the Grace of our Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family.
 
Mrs. Mary Edward.

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