419 scam: MELISA KONE <melisakone002@btinternet.com> DONATION FOR THE ORPHANAGES

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "trunk box" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "god fearing " (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
- "calvary greetings" (scammers in West Africa like to use religious phrases)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- melisa_muhammed@hotmail.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MELISA KONE <melisakone002@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: melisa_muhammed@hotmail.fr
Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 15:25:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: DONATION FOR THE ORPHANAGES

DONATION FOR THE ORPHANAGES

Reply To : melisa_muhammed@hotmail.fr
Dear Child of God,
Calvary Greetings in the name of the LORD.
Good day and compliments of the seasons, I know this letter will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to go through it carefully as the decision you make will go off a long way to determine my future and continued existence.
I am Mrs. Melisa Muhammed, an aging widow of 63 years old suffering from long time illness(Cancer) I am presently in America for treatment, I had no daughter no son no children, i have survived only by my late husband.

I have some funds I inherited from my late husband, and the Inheritance is some huge amount of Fund kept safe in a Vault. The sum of Eight Million Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($ 8.650, 000.00 ) and I needed a very honest and God fearing person who can withdraw this money then use the fund for Charity works, I found your email and address from the internet and decided to contact you if you may be willing and interested to handle these funds before anything happens to me as am having few more days to go into the Coma for a surgical operation which my life is not guaranteed to be saved or alive according to my Doctor's who doesn't want to brake the news to me yet but my lady friend the nurse told me about the result of final check up but the Doctor keeps hiding the truth not wanting me to know that I wont survive the operation.
I am desperately in keen need of assistance and I have summoned up courrage to contact you for this task.
This is no stolen money and there are no dangers involved. All you have to do is to retrieve the Trunk Box from the Financial Vault to your postal address at your country, as you are my chosen representative, you are to use the Fund for the work of God. you must use the funds for the work of God. Such as donation to the Orphanage Homes for the Charities. Also, for the destitutes, Please kindly reply to my e-mail here: melisa_muhammed@hotmail.fr
I wait for your kind and urgent response for further details, Your full names and Address and telephone contact detals. Reply quickly or you will give me room to contact someone else to handle this task on my behalf in case am gone out of this world.
Warmest regards from yours truly in good Faith,
Sister Melisa Muhammed
One with God is with All.

Anti-fraud resources:

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