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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: "melissa pointer`" <assistpointer07@msn.com>
Reply-To: assistmelissa01@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 10:00:17 +0000
Subject: Dearly Beloved in Christ

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
twenty-seven 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 achild
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 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. 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 layingclaims
for this funds.
Please send all emails to : assistmelissa01@yahoo.co.uk

Yours in Christ,

Melissa Pointer


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