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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: <helenavandavert22@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:12:18 -0700
Subject: PLEASE ENDEVOUR TO USE IT FOR THE NEEDY.

MRS HELENA VANDAVERT
NETHERLAND
Beloved ,
      PLEASE ENDEVOUR TO USE IT FOR THE NEEDY.
Greetings TO YOU, I am Mrs Helena Vandavert from Netherlands. I am married to Dr.
Franklyn Vandavert who worked for twenty years before he died.We were married for twenty-
seven years without a child. He died during one of the riot in the Iraq war. He was held
hostage and slain to death by protesting youths of the region in Iraq. 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 Companysecurity 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/security and batch number 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 honest fearing that will use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows
propagating help to the needy and to ensure that they are  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 thanks,
Mrs Helena Vandavert
 

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