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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: Angela Armstrong <service2charity1@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: mrs.angelaamstrong@jmail.co.za
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:13:36 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: GREETINGS MY DEAR ONE


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: service2charity1@yahoo.com



- I CRAVE YOUR INDULGENCE TO READ THIS MAIL Greetings to you in the most wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His richest blessings shall be upon you forever. Please let this not sound strange to you for my only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this year, I prayed and got your email id from your country chambers of commerce which I have been with my late husband and liked to visit once more if God will in his infinite mercies. I am Mrs. Angela Armstrong, I am 53 years old from Netherlands, I am deaf and suffering from a long time cancer of the Lungs and Pneumonia which also disordered my mental system long time ago, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the a long period of time, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child. My husband died in a fatal auto accident on his way to work on a broad day light. Before his death we were true Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $18.5million dollars with a Security Company in Madrid Spain because we spent our lifetime there and he worked their all his life with an oil company (Chevron Petroleum Plc.) Presently, this money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody whom I trust to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it traded on or diverted to the Federal Account. Presently, I'm with my old laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs together with the Pneumonia disease. Since then I have lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only few months to live. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless babies’ home where I come from. I want you to be a God fearing person, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages, widows and the less privileges because there is nothing to live for any more, and it is said that blessed are those that giveth to the ones that findeth. I took this decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security Company. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. I shall wait for your prayerful reply, thanking you in His precious name. May God bless you abundantly for your considerations and seeing reasons why we must help the poor and the less privileges. Yours in Christ Mrs. Angela Armstrong.


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