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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: churchofchrist232@mchsi.com
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:47:37 +0000
Subject: BELOVED IN CHRIST

Dear Beloved in Christ,
I am Mrs. Anne Howard, the wife of Mr. James Howard; both of us are
citizens of the united state of America. My husband worked with the
Mobile Petroleum in Ukraine for twenty years before he died in the year
2003.We were married for ten years without a child. My Husband died
after a brief illness that lasted for only a week. Before his death we both
got born-again as dedicated Christians. Since his death I decided not to
re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home. When my late husband was
alive he deposited the sum of 8.3 Million Pounds (Eight Million Three Hundred
Thousand Pounds) with a Bank in Europe.
Presently, this money is still with the Bank and the management just
wrote me as the beneficiary that our account has been DORMANT and if I,
as the beneficiary of the funds, do not re-activate the account; the
funds will be CONFISCATED or I rather issue a letter of authorization
to somebody to receive it on my behalf (note that you need to activate
this account) as my illness will not allow me come over. Presently, I'm in a
hospital in Ukraine 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 and orphanages anywhere
in the World. Because my relatives and friends have plundered so much of
our wealth since my illness, I cannotlive 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-in as the beneficiary and collect the Funds
from the Bank.
I want a person that is God-fearing who will use this money to fund
churches, orphanages and widows, propagating the word of God. I took
this decision because I don'thave any child that will inherit this money and
my husband's 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
reasons for taking this bold decision.
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.I await your quick
response to this mail, as this is my last wish to see this funds
transferred before my Death.
Please my beloved for further communication on how we are going to
conclude this, reach me on my
private E-mail:anne_howard06@yahoo.it
Remain Blessed.
Your Sister in Christ,
Mrs. Anne Howard

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