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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: Mrs Monica Smith <mrsmonicasmith02@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrsmonicasmith01@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:26:25 -0700
Subject: RE: BELOVED IN CHRIST( URGENT RESPONSE NEEDED!!!)



DEAR BELOVED IN CHRIST, IT IS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT I RECEIVED CHRIST, KNOWING THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH HAVE SET ME FREE.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 MONICA SMITH FROM OKLAHOMA USA.I AM MARRIED TO MR. FRANK SMITH WHO WORKED WITH CHEVRON/TEXACO IN WEST AFRICA FOR TWENTY YEARS BEFORE HE DIED IN THE YEAR 2002. WE WERE MARRIED FOR TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A CHILD, HE DIED DURING ONE OF THE RIOTS IN THE WEST AFRICA.HE WAS HELD HOSTAGE AND SLAIN TO DEATH BY PROTESTING YOUTHS OF THE REGION IN DELTA STATE BEFORE HIS DEATH WE WERE BOTH BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS. SINCE HIS DEATH I DECIDED NOT TO RE-MARRY. WHEN MY LATE HUSBAND WAS ALIVE HE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF ($11,000,000.00)(ELEVEN MILLION US DOLLARS)WITH A BANK IN THE WEST AFRICA AND NOW THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BANK HAVE JUST WROTE ME TO COME FORWARD TO RECEIVE THE FUND OR RATHER ISSUE A LETTER OF AUTHORISATION TO SOMEBODY TO RECEIVE IT ON MY BEHALF IF I CAN NOT COME OVER BECAUSE OF MY CONDITION AT HAND. I AM PRESENTLY WITH MY LAPTOP IN A HOSPITAL WHERE I HAVE BEEN UNDERGOING TREATMENT FOR CANCER OF THE LUNGS, I HAVE SINCE LOST MY ABILITY TO TALK AND MY DOCTORS HAVE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE ONLY A FEW MONTHS TO LIVE. IT IS MY LAST WISH TO SEE THAT THIS FUND IS INVESTED AND AT THE END OF EVERY YEAR DISTRIBUTED AMONG CHARITY ORGANISATION. AND FOR YOUR COMPESATION, AS SOON AS THE FUND ENTERS YOUR ACCOUNT TAKE 50% OF THE TOTAL MONEY, WHILE 45% WILL BE FOR THE WORK OF GOD AND 5% WILL BE FOR CHARITY HOME ORGANIZATION AND UNICEF HOME.TOOK THIS DECISION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ALOT OF POORPEOPLE SUFFERING FROM DIFFERENT KIND OF DISEASE AND NOBODY TO COME TO THEIR AID. WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR REPLY I SHALL GIVE YOU THE CONTACT OF THE BANK IN WEST AFRICA WERE THE FUND AS BEEN DEPOSITED. I WILL ALSO ISSUE YOU A LETTER OF AUTHORITY AND CERTIFICATE OF CLAIM THAT WILL PROVE YOU AS THE NEW BENEFICIARY OF THIS FUND. GET BACK TO ME I AWAIT YOUR URGENT REPLY. YOURS IN CHRIST, MRS MONICA SMITH.
_________________________________________________________________
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