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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: "MARY JOSH" <mary_josh026@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: mary_josh014@yahoo.fr
Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:05:31 +0000
Subject: ATTENTION NEEDED

Dear Sir/Madam

Greetings in the name of God,Pls let this not sound strange to you for my
only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this year.i prayed
and got you email id from your countrys chambers of commerce which i have
been with my late huband and liked to visit once more if God will in his
infinite mercies.

I am Mrs.Mary Josh,I am 51 years old,i am deaf and suffering from a long
time cancer of the breast which also affected my brain,from all indication
my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that,
according to my doctors they have advised me that i may not live for
thenext two months,this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very
bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home was married to my
late husband for twenty years without a child ,died in a fatal motor
accident Before his death we were true Christians. Since his death I decided
not to re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the
sum of $18.5million dollars with a Security Company.

Presently, 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 can not come over because of my illness or they get it confisticated.

Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing
treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and
my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.It is my last
wish to see that this money is invested to any organisation of your
choice and distributed each year among the charity organization,the poorand
the motherless babies home where i come from.I want you God fearing,to also
use this money to fund churches, 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 the Security
Company.

I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new
beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I
stated herein. Hoping to hearing from you soon.
Waiting for our reply

Yours in Christ,
Mrs Mary Josh


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