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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: "Mrs Melissa Pointer" <assisthumanityproject@msn.com>
Reply-To: calvary_care@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 18:51:25 +0000
Subject: Hello

Dearly Beloved in Christ,


It is by the grace of God that I received Christ,Having known the   truth, I  had no choice than to do what is lawful and right in the sight  of  God  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 twenty 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 $3.5M. (Three Million Five 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.Presently,  I'm  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 sincemy  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. The Bible made  us to  understand 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 and 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.Exodus 14 VS 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I  shall hold my peace. I don't need 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.  With God  all things are possible.  As soon as I receive your reply I shall  give you the contact of  Attorney who is in Europe as he will be the one to assist   you in laying  claims for this funds.

Please send Your Response to  :calvary_care@yahoo.com.hk

Yours in Christ,

Melissa Pointer.
Email:
calvary_care@yahoo.com.hk

 

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