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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: "Evangelist MaryEze" <evangelistmary_eze@msn.com>
Reply-To: evangelismaryeze@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 23:57:50 +0000
Subject: DEAR IN CHRIST READ THE MESSAGE IS FROM MARY EZE

Dear in Christ,

I am Evangelist.Mary Eze, from Netherlands. I ammarried to Dr.Peter Eze who
worked with Chevron Texaco in GHANA for twenty years before he died in the
year 2000.We were married for twenty-seven years without a child.

He died during one of the riot in the AKIRA delta region of GHANA . He was
held hostage and slain to death by protesting youths of the region. Before
his death we were both born again Christians. Since his death I decided not
to re-marry. When mylate husband was alive he deposited the sum of (Eight
Millionsix hundred thousand U.S.Dollars) with a security company.

Presently, this money is still with the Security Company andthe management
just wrote me as the
beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather issue a letter of
authorization to some body to receive it on my behalf if I can not come
over.

Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have beenundergoing
treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lostmy ability to talk and
my doctors have told me that I have onlya few months to live. It is my last
wish to see that this moneyis invested the proceed at the end of every year
distributed among charity organization. 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 Godis maintained.

The Bible made us to understand that blessed is the hand that giveth. I took
this decision because i know that there are a lot of poor people suffering
from different kind of disease and nobody to come to their aid. With God all
things are possible.As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the
contact of the Security Company.

I will also issue you a letter of authority that will proveyou as the new
beneficiary of this Fund. You are to help meinvest these funds into real
estate and stocks. You will beentitled to 10% of every profit you make in a
year.Please assureme that you will act accordingly as I stated. Hoping to
hearfrom you soon.

Waiting for your reply Yours in Christ,

Evangelist. Mary Eze


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