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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: "Mrs. Melissa Pointer" <mel_pointer@pointerworld.net>
Reply-To: mel_pointer39@walla.com
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:27:28 +0000
Subject: Greetings and Compliments.......

From: Mrs Melissa Pointer

Dearly Beloved

It is by the grace of the Lord that I send you this letter. Having known the
truth, I had no choice than to do what is lawful and right in the sight of
The Lord for eternal life and in the sight of man for witness of God´s mercy
and glory upon my life.

I am Mrs Melissa Pointer, the wife of Mr Harry Pointer, my husband worked
with the Chevron/Texaco in Kenya for Fifteen years before he died in the
year 2001.We were married for ten years without a child. My Husband died
after a brief illness that lasted for only four days. Before his death, we
were both born again Christians.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home which the Bible is against. When my late husband was alive
he deposited the sum of US $8.6M. (Eight Million, Six Hundred Thousand U.S.
Dollars) with a Bank in Europe. Presently, this money is still with the Bank
and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to sign
for the release of this money or rather issue a letter of authorization to
somebody to receive it on my behalf if I can not come over.

I'm presently in a hospital in Kenya where I have been undergoing treatment
for esophageal cancer. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors
have told me that I have only a few weeks to live. It is my last wish to see
this money distributed to charity organizations any where in the World.
Because relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth since my
illness, I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility
to any of them. Please, I beg you in the name of God to help me Stand and
collect the Funds from the Bank.

I want a person that is God fearing that will use this money to fund
churches, orphanages and widows propagating the word of God and to ensure
that the house of God is maintained. It is said that blessed is the hand
that giveth. I took this decision because I don't have any child that will
inherit this money and my husband relatives are not Christians coupled with
the fact that I don't want my husband's hard earned money to be misused by
unbelievers. I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an
ungodly manner.Hence the reason for taking this bold decision. I am not
afraid of death hence I know where I am going. I know that I am going to be
in the bosom of the Lord.

My condition will not allow any telephone communication in this regard
because of my soundless voice and presence of my husband's relatives around
me always.

I don't want them to know about this development because, "With God, nothing
shall be impossible".

As soon as I receive your reply to this mail, I shall give you the contact
of the Attorney who is in Europe as he will be the one to assist you in
laying claims to this funds.

May God richly bless you even as you take my situation to heart and decide
to uphold this great task for the upliftment of the less prividged to the
glory of God Almighty.

Yours Ever,

Melissa Pointer.

N.B: Kindly send your response to: mel_pointer39@walla.com



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