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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: "Mrs. Regina Smith" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrsreginasmithyo@sify.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:35:18 +0100
Subject: OUR LORD IS GOOD PLEASE READ THIS..nnnn

With my deepest expression and sympathy,

It is by the grace of God that I am sending you this letter and I thank him for making me see this new year, and I am using this opportunity to say happy new year and I pray that all you heart desires and dreams for this wonderful year 2010 will be fully achieved in Jesus name Amen.

Once again good day in the name of the Lord who maketh all things possible, for those who believe in him, I am Mrs. Regina Smith from Kuala Lupur Malaysia, I am 58 years old, I am currently suffering from multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow and an Insulin dependent diabetics, my critical stage of health gets worst by the day and the physicians taking care of me, has found out that I may not live longer than an approximated two months from now.

I had a father who told me how I lost my mother 2years after my birth, I got to know little about my father because he died when I was 12yrs old. I took life the way I saw it and lived a very exemplary life, I knew no uncle nor aunty talk more of grandparents, I stayed in my father’s home till the Lord brought the right man to me, Late Mr. James Smith. He worked for the early United Nations in the year 1960s so with his influence in the UN we were able to get a visa and left for the USA. We stayed in southern part of Louisiana for more than 20yrs not until my late husband became ill and suffered from diphtheria and acute mania and he finally gave up at the Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Louisiana.

After his death in the year 1997, I spent 2yrs in the United State all alone and I decided not to re-marry because my late husband was so dear and caring to me. My late husband worked with the Francois Construction Company a company owned by an Italian back then, and we were wealthy as a family. When it was time for me to come back to my country I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited the total sum of $6.2Million USD with a FEDERAL RESERVE BANK NEW YORK.

There was no way I could come back to my home town with such amount of money else I will be charged for money laundering and other assorts and I wont be able to go through such processes due to the low function of my health.

After all these years of illness and pains, I just received a letter from the company to come for my funds or bring forth a beneficiary who will represent me in handling the funds out of their company, because they are about to relocate and close the company for reasons best known to them else they will trade with the funds. My dear I cannot do this alone because I am no longer in the USA and I can’t afford to travel anymore, that is why I have decided to contact you. I need you to help me carry out this humble task and I have taken a very drastic decision that this monies must go to the less privileged, motherless baby’s homes, cancer hospitals and a memorial home in my name. I have spent hell on my health and wish to discontinue with further expenses because all I came back with has been taking by my health.

Since the period of my illness I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors has told me that I have only few months to live. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any charitable organization of your choice and proceeds distributed each year among the charity organization and cancer hospitals, the poor and the motherless babies orphanage homes and widows in your state.

I must confess to you, it was very hard for me to make such decision but I have no other choice, because this life is all vanity upon vanity, I cannot die with money while people are suffering out there. My dear you may be surprised as to why I contacted you, but as I have always believed in my self and in this saying that destiny can only be delayed but never be denied, so my dear it is your destiny to aid the Lords work now. Please do write me back with good heart and Christian mind so I may forward the contact details of the finance company and other identification codes that are in my name.

The will of the almighty God does not lead his children to where his grace will not protect them, and the Lord does not give his children a cross they cannot carry so my dear believe in the miracles of the Lord and realize that nothing is impossible for the kind hearted our Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy New Year once again remain blessed till I hear back from you again!

God’s Love,
Mother Regina Smith

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