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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: Winly Theresa <winly.resa62@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2017 00:40:08 -0700
Subject: Invest this money for me in your country


Dear Beloved Friend,

I am happy to know you, but God knows you better and he knows why he has
directed me to you at this point, so do not be afraid. I prayed and got you
email ID from your country's ministries of commerce and foreign trade
departments. I am writing this mail to you with heavy sorrow in my heart,
this massage might come to you as surprise but I chose to reach you through
internet because it still remains the fastest medium of communication
though this medium internet has been greatly abused. Please give me this
little chance to explain myself to you, I would have liked to meet you face
to face before departing from this mother earth but due to the illness that
continue to deprive the chance but even if I die on the process of this
operation I will still praise my God ALMIGHTY.

My name is Mrs. Winly Theresa. I am a dying woman and I decided to donate
what I have to you for charity work/assistance to less privileged people in
the society. I am 62 years old and I was diagnosed of cancer for about 4
years ago, immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me
everything he worked for and because my doctor told me that I would not
last for the period of one year due to cancer problem. Because of my
health, I have some funds I inherited from my late husband, the sum of
(20.5 Million Dollars) and I needed a very honest and God fearing person
who can withdraw this money then use the funds for Charity works. I found
your email address from the internet after honest prayers to the LORD to
bring me a helper and I decided to contact you if you may be willing and
interested to handle these trust funds in good faith before anything
happens to me. I want a good person who will use the money to work for Gods
charity homes and I have chosen you after going through your profile. I
want this money to be shared to the less privileged since I do not have a
child to inherit the money and my late husband relatives all are
non-believers and I don't want my husband’s hard earned money to be used in
an ungodly ways. Hence the reason for taking this bold decision because I
do not have any child who will inherit this money after I die. I am
desperately in keen need of assistance and I have summoned up courage to
contact you for this task, you must not fail me and the millions of the
poor people in our today world. This is no stolen money and there are no
dangers involved, is 100% risk free with full legal proof.

This money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true
owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or rather
issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf
since I cannot come over because of my illness or they get it confiscated.
Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital here, where I have been
undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. It is my last wish to see
that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and
distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the
motherless babies’ home. I want you as God fearing person, to also use this
money to fund orphanages and widows; I took this decision, before I rest in
peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I
shall give you the contact of them. I am absolutely assuring you that no
trouble is involved in this money because this is my late husband money. I
want you to take 30 percent of the total money for your personal use while
70% of the money will go to charity. I will appreciate your utmost
confidentiality and trust in this matter to accomplish my heart desire, as
I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. Please kindly
respond for further details.

THANKS AND MAY ALMIGHTY GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO HELP.

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