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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• This email message is a "dying widow" scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "ruth serena" <ruthserena@msn.com>
Reply-To: ruthserena1@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:39:52 +0000
Subject: BELOVED

From: Mrs. Ruth Serena
PLEASE ENDEAVOUR TO USED IT FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
I am the above named person from England. I was married to Dr Hillary Serena
who worked with a construction company in Asia for twenty years before he
died in the tsunami disasters. We were married for eleven years without a
child. Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home. While my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of
$8.6 Million (Eight Million six hundred thousand U.S. Dollars) with Bank in
London, England and this money is still with the Bank.
Recently, the management of the Bank just wrote me as the beneficiary to
come forward to receive the money or rather issue a letter of authorization
tosomebody to receive it on my behalf as I am presently in a hospital where
I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs and have since lost
my ability to talk.
Having known my condition I decided to donate this fund to a church or an
individual that will utilize 80% of this money to fund churches, charity
home, orphanages and widows around the world in my name. The Bible made us
to understand that blessed is the hand that giveth. I shall give you the
contact of the bank and a letter of authority that will prove you as the
original - beneficiary of this fund. My happiness is that I lived a life of
a worthy Christian. Whoever that wants to serve the Lord must serve him in
spirit and truth. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated
herein. Remain blessed in the name of the Lord.
Yours in Christ
Mrs. Ruth Serena

_________________________________________________________________
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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam