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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 HELENA VANDAVERT" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <helenavandavert01@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:46:37 -0700
Subject: PLEASE ENDEVOUR TO USE IT FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD.

MRS HELENA VANDAVERT
NETHERLAND
 
My Dear Beloved,
 
PLEASE ENDEVOUR TO USE IT FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
 
 
Greetings in the name of God,I am Mrs.Helena Vandavert from Netherlands. I
am married to Dr. Franklyn Vandavert who worked 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 riot in the Niger delta region of Nigeria. He was held
hostage and slain to death by protesting youths of the region.
 
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 (Eight Million six hundred thousand U.S Dollars) with a security company.
 
Presently, this money is still with the Security Company and the management just
wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather issue
a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I can not come over.
 
Presently, I'm 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 money is invested to proceed at the
end of every year distributed among charity organization. I want a person that is
God fearing that will use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows
propagating the word of God and to ensure that the house of God is maintained.
 
The Bible made us to understand that blessed is the hand that giveth. I
took this decision because i know that there are a lot of poor people 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 Security Company.
 
I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the
beneficiary of this Fund. You are to help me invest these funds into real
estate, stocks, donations for the poor, motherless baby homes, deaf and
blind organizations etc. You will be entitled to 10% of every profit you make
in a year.
 
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
 
Hoping to hearing from you soon.
 
Waiting for your reply yours in Christ,

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