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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.Helen Ramonu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ecohelenn@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 07:10:33 -0700
Subject: Dear Beloved

Dear Beloved
My name is Mrs.Helen Ramonu am a dying woman who has decided to donate what I have to

charity through you.You may be wondering why I chose you.But someone has to be chosen. I am

49 years old and was diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago,immediately after the death of

my husband who had left me everything he worked for.I have been touched by the lord to

donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to charity through you for the good

work of humanity,rather than allow my relatives to use my husband\'s hard earned funds

inappropriately. I have asked the lord to forgive me all my sins and I believe he

has,because He is merciful. I will be going in for an operation,and I pray that I survive

the operation. I have decided to WILL/Donate the sum of $6.1 Million (Six Million one

Hundred thousand Dollars) to charity through you for the good work of the lord, and to help

the motherless,less privileged and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I

cannot take any telephone calls,due to the fact that my relatives are around me and I have

been restricted by my doctor from taking telephone calls because I deserve all the rest I
can get.

Presently,I have informed my lawyer about my decision in WILLING this fund to charity

through you. 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.If you are interested in

carrying out this task,i will inform my Family Lawyer so that he can arrange the release of

the funds to you. I know i have never met you but my mind tells me to do this,and I hope you

act sincerely.I will pay you 30% of this money if you will assist me because I am now too

weak and frigile to do things myself because of my cancer.

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 hope to receive

your early response, as it will encourage me, to stop establishing further contacts as it

regards to this subject matters.
I await your kind response
Remain Blessed
Mrs.Helen Ramonu

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