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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 Gloria Caldwell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrsgloriacald58@centrum.sk>
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:23:11 -0000
Subject: Dear beloved in Christ


Dear beloved,

I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I came across
your email contact from my personal search and I instructed the doctor here
in this hospital to help me email you and I believe that you will be honest
to fulfill my final wish before I will die.

I am Mrs. Gloria Caldwell from LONDON, I am 58 years old, I am deaf and
suffering from a long time cancer of the breast, which also affected my
brain. From all indication my condition is really deteriorating, and my
doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next two
months, this is because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage. I was
brought up in a motherless baby's home, and was married to my late husband
for twenty years without a child. My husband and I are true Christians, but
quite unfortunately, he died in a fatal motor accident.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited
belongings and deposited all the sum of $3.2million dollars with a BANK.
Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management
just wrote me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the
money after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization
to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a result
of my illness, or they get it confiscated. Presently, I'm with my laptop in
a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. 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 money is invested in any organization
of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization, the
poor and the motherless baby's home where I come from. I want your good
humanitarian, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows
around. I must let you know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to
take a bold step towards this issue because I have no further option. I hope
you will help see my last wishes come true.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the
BANK. I will also issue you a letter of authority, which will
prove that you are the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that
you will act accordingly as I stated herein. Hope to hear from you soonest.

Awaiting your reply

Yours in Christ,
Mrs. Gloria Caldwell


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