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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: sister melissa pointer <assistpointer0001@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2006 03:18:09 -0300
Subject: Beloved!!!


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 & his mercies and glory upon my life.
I am Mrs.Melissa Pointer the wife of Mr Harry
Pointer,my husband worked with theChevron/Texaco
in Kenya for twenty years before he died in the year2001.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 forthe 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
under going 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 anywhere in the World.Because relatives and friends have plundered somuch 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 ensurethat the house of God is maintained.

The Bible made us to understandthat blessed is the hand that giveth.I took this decision because I don't have any child that will inherit this money and my husbandrelatives 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 thisbold 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 VS14}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 youthe contact of my attorney who is in Europe as he will be the one to assist you in laying claims for this funds.

Note:PLEASE REPLY TO MY MAIL BOX;assistpointer07@yahoo.com
Your Sister in Christ,

Mrs.Melissa Pointer.

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