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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: ruth206@seznam.cz
Reply-To: ruthsmith08@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:26:26 +0100 (CET)
Subject: =?us-ascii?Q?From=3A=20Mrs=20Ruth=20Smith?=

From: Mrs Ruth Smith

Beloved,

Compliments of the day to you ! By this e-mail, I do sincerely apologise for my intrusion of your privacy. However, I have a serious concern with which I believe you might be of help and for this reason, I can not but reach out to someone . My name as given above is Mrs Ruth Smith a nationality of Australian. I am married to Mr sammy Smith who worked with Australian embassy in ABIDJAN IVORY COAST for nine years before he died in the plane crash On 31st of July 2000 with other passengers aboard as you can confirm it yourself through this web site. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm) We were a dedicated Christians and decided to serve mankind to the best of our ability. Since his death, I have lived with the memories, fighting effortelessly to lead a normal life but all to no avail. I suffered mentally and psychologically and shortly was diagnosed of Cancer. I lived with the scourge praying earnestly for divine intervention. Just a month ago, the doctor info!
rmed me that I have just about three months more to live. I was not shocked. I accepted the news in good fate. Brethren, it is in this regard that I write to you, having sourced your address from a database in my late husband's internet dozier after fervent prayers. Before my husband died, he deposited a sum of $5.6Million (Five Million six Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with a bank in cote d'ivoire. I have wholeheartedly decided to donate the entirety of this fund to any devoted believer or organisation and to achieve this, I need an individual that will utilize this funds adherently for these purposes.
1: For the sick, less-privilledged and destitute,
2: For the Widows and the motherless babies e.t.c.
3: orphanages, Research centres and widows propagating.
These are the wishes of a dying woman. They are the desires of my heart, hence my decision as I do not have a child to take over my inheritance. Please, understand that I am not doing this because of fear of death as I am certain where my place already is. At this point, friends, well wishers, and my husbands relatives are all clampered around me as I
sojourn in my hospital bed and are unaware of my plight, hence I will not be able to make an open conversation. When I receive your response, I will direct you at once to the bank. All I need from you is Truthfulness, Honesty and Sincerity assuring me that you can in all honesty and obedience utilize the funds for the purpose with which it is meant. In any a case, a quick response from you will be highly appreciated as I am already on a count-down and may not have ample time to finalize the procedures. Any delay in response may compel me to source for other measures or perhaps choose the alternative which I will not be happy to. Please, do not see this as a strange possibility or an unbeliveable opportunity to make wealth, rather see this as a rare chance to assist the less priviledged in truth and in spirit
with a substance. I await your immediate response.

Thank You and Bless You richly!
Yours Sincerely
Mrs Ruth Smith

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