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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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Fraud email example:

From: "mail Enquiry" <jenniferwilson2004@zwallet.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 22:10:52 +0100
Subject: Please read and respond urgently

Hello,
My name is Mrs Jennifer Wilson I am a dying woman who have decided to
donate what I have to you/ church. I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for
cancer about 2 years ago immediately after the death of my husband, who
had left me everything he worked for.

I have been touched by God to donate from what I have inherited from my
late husband to the you for the good work of God rather than allow my
relatives to use my husband's hard earned funds ungodly. Please pray that
the good Lord forgive me my sins. I have asked God to forgive me and I
believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation and
i pray that i survive the operation.

I have decided to WILL/donate the sum of $1,500,000 (One million five
hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of the lord, and to help
the motherless and non privileged and also for the assistance of the widows.
At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls, due to the fact that my
relatives are around me and I have been restricted by my doctor from taking
telephone calls. presently my WILL have been adjusted and my lawyer has been
notified.

I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and
please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others. Contact
me through this email address jenniferwilson@mail2world.com <http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=jenniferwilson@mail2world.com> if you are
interested so that I can feed you with the information on how to claim the
funds of($1,500,000.00).I know I have never met you but I have been
directed to do this by God and I hope you act sincerely.
NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the
task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will Jeopardize my last
wish, due to the fact that I do not want relatives or family members
standing in the way of my last wish.

Regards,
Jennifer Wilson


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