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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. Rosa Cameron" <mrs.rosa@w.cn>
Reply-To: mrs.rosaca@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:54:02 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: Dear beloved friend




Dear beloved friend,

With warm heart I offer my friendship and greetings, I hope this email
meet you in good time. However, as we have not met personally or had any
dealings in the past. I humbly ask that you take due consideration of
importance and immense benefit of this email. I sincerely seek your
confidence, as I make this proposal to you as a person of integrity.

I am Mrs. Rosa Cameron from Ohio,USA deaf and suffering from a long time
cancer of the breast, from all indication my conditions has really
deteriorated and I can not work or do things that are stressful.

According to my doctors they have told me that I may not live for the next
few months, this is because the cancer stage has got to a very bad stage.
I was brought up in a motherless baby's home before I got married to my
late husband for twenty years without any child.

My Husband (Jack Cameron) died on air crash on a vacation to the Canary
Islands, Spain.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/20/world/main4365961.shtml,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7572643.stm,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/21/content_9563750.htm.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited
belongings and deposited all and the sum of $17.2 million with a Security
Company.

Presently, this money is still with the company and the management wrote
me as the legitimate beneficiary to my late husband estate to come forward
to receive the money for safe keeping. It has attracted a demur-rage as
the security fee paid by me has expired and I rather issue a letter of
authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I cannot come
over because of my illness or they get it confiscated. So instead of
getting it confiscated I would prefer someone whom I can trust to receive
the funds and utilize it according to my wishes.

Presently, I can only communicate with my laptop in a hospital in Spain
where I have been undergoing treatment for my sickness. It is my last wish
to see that this money is invested/donated to any organizations of your
choice e.g. the poor homes, the motherless baby's home, the deaf and dumb.

All I seek for is a God fearing person like you, who will carry out my
last wishes. I prayed before I emailed you today and I have the confidence
to send you this email. I took this decision before I rest in peace
because my time will soon be up.

As soon as I receive your reply I will send you the contact information of
the security company. All I need from you is a confidential assurance that
the funds when received by you will be used for the said purpose, I know
scams are on the internet and it is difficult to trust but I do not know
why my conscience still approved me to email you about this out of few
email addresses I have, yours was the only one that was approved for me to
contact.

MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU,
Mrs. Rosa Cameron


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