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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. Johnson Sharon" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gavin_col@freemail.hu>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 2010 01:35:50 -0800
Subject: REGISTRATION NO: 9027640 !!!

Greetings from Mrs.Johnson,
 
After going through your profile over the internet i decided
to contact you for friendship and assistace for distribution
of my inheritance. My name is Mrs. Sharon Johnson ; I am a
dying woman who has decided to donate what I have for the
work of charity. I am 59 years old and I was diagnosed for
cancer for about 6 years now.
 
I have been touched by God to donate from what I have
inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of
God, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard
earned funds ungodly. Please pray that the good Lord forgive
me my sins. I have asked God to forgive me and I believe he
has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for a
surgery soon and I want to make sure that I make this
donation before undergoing my surgery.
 
I decided to donate the sum of (Eleven million five
hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of the
lord, and also to help the motherless and less privilege and
also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I
cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact
that my husband's relatives are around me and my health
status as well.
 
I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you
abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend
the good work to others. I have informed my consultant about
my intention to dispose my funds to you. it is true that I dont know you, but I
have been directed by God to do this. Thanks and God bless.
 
I will direct you further after hearing from you. 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.
 
Also I will be contacting with you by email as I don't want
my husband relations or anybody to know because they are
always around me.
 
I wait your reply
 
Regards,
Sharon Johnson (Mrs.)

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