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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: "Rev. Ruth Van" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rev.ruthvan@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 13:49:43 +0100
Subject: Dearest

Dearest
 
          This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have
not met. I have no intentions of causing you pains and i decided to contact
you through this medium. I got your contact through a personal search
via the internet. As you read this, i don't want you to feel sorry for me, because,
I believe everyone  will die someday.
          My name is Rev. Ruth Van, i am a dying woman who have decided to
donate What I have to you/ church/charity organizations. i am 69 years
old. I was diagnosed with O esophageal Cancer for about 7 years ago,
immediately after the death of my husband. We lived peacefully together in America
until his untimely death. Of-course he left everything to me.
           I have not particularly lived my life so well either, as i never had deep care
for anyone. Though I am very rich, i was never generous, i was always
hostile to people and only focus on myself as that was the only thing
i Cared for. If God gives me a second chance to come to this
world i would Live my life a different way from how i have lived it.
Now that i know my time is near i have been touched by God to donate
from what I have inherited from my late husband for the good work of
God and humanity, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned
funds in alcohol and women
         So far, i have distributed money to some charity organizations in the
U.A.E, London and Ireland. Now that my health has deteriorated so
badly, i cannot do this myself any more. I once asked members of my
family to close one of my accounts and donate the money, which i have
there to charity organization in Bulgaria; they refused and kept the
money to themselves. They squandered the money on pleasure trips with women
and friends. I wonder why they do this.
          The last of my money which is the huge cash deposit that I have with
financial firm Abroad. It was meant for oil explorations in Venezuela
I want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched it to charity
organizations And let them know that this generous donation came from me
          I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital bed where I
wait for my time to come. I will be going in for an operation in few days.
I had to do this, bearing in mind if is not successful. I pray that God uses you to
support and assist me in disbursing  this fund to charity .
           I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit
this money and my husband relatives are not inclined to helping poor
persons and i do not want my husband's hard earned money to be misused
or spent in the manner in which my late husband did not specify. At
the moment i cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact
that my relatives are in search of me and my health is bad. I wish you
the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use
the funds well and always extend the good work to others.
          Please send your name, address, phone number, age, occupation, country
The bank Requires this information. Once i get the information, i will forward a letter of
authority to the bank stating that the said be transferred to you. And a copy will be sent to
you so that you can use it to contact the bank.
 
NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until
The task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will jeopardize
my last wish. I await your response.
 
Regards,
Rev. Ruth Van (Mrs)

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