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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: "Rosemary King" <mrosa_k@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: mrosa_k@myway.com
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 07:50:29 +0100
Subject: CHARITY PROJECT

Dear Friend,
My name is Mrs.Rosemary King I am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to charity through you.You may be wondering why I chose you. But someone has to be chosen. I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago,years after the death of my husband who had left me everything he worked for.I have been touched by the lord to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to charity through you for the good work of humanity,rather than allow my relatives to use my husbands hard earned funds inappropriately.

I have asked the lord to forgive me all my sins and I believe he has,because He is merciful. I am presently in London waiting for an operation and praying that I survive.
I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of $2 Million (Two Million Dollars) of my husband investment in Africa to charity in your country through you for the good work of the lord, and to help the motherless,less privileged and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls, due to the fact that I have been restricted by my doctor from taking telephone calls because I deserve all the rest I can get before the operation.

Presently,I have informed my lawyer about my decision in WILLING this fund to charity through you. I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well as I want it to be a seed i ihave sown and always extend the good work to others.

If you are interested in carrying out this task,i will inform my Family Lawyer so that he can arrange the release of the funds to you.

You may wonder, why dont i call the the many charity group and donate the fund to them, that is the more reason i have contacted you, there is a little logistic work to be done, and it involves direct dealing with the bank and providing the necessary logistic for the transfer of the fund before the final donation, for this reason and owning to the fact that my health is bad to carry out all this i have deceided to contact you, in reward, you shall take 30% of the fund while the rest will be donated to various charities.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished,as I dont want anything that will Jeopardize my last wish, due to the fact that I do not want relatives or family
members standing in the way of my last wish.

Love,
Rosemary King



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