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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. Lydia Herbert" <marekpodobinski@neostrada.pl>
Reply-To: help.charity@blumail.org
Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:48:08 -0400
Subject: Dear beloved friend

Dear beloved friend,
 
 
with warm heart I offer my friendship and greetings, I hope this mail meet you in good time. However, as we have not met personally or had any dealings in the past. I have heard so many good things about you, I humbly ask that you take due consideration of its importance and immense benefit. I sincerely seek your confidence, as I make this proposal to you as a person of integrity.
 
 
I am Mrs. Lydia Herbert from United Kingdom 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?? home before I got married to my late husband for twenty years without any child. My Husband (Jack Herbert) 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.
 
Before his death we were true Christians.
 
 
Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all and the sum of $35 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. I rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not 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. And the best part of it is that the security company told me in the letter that they can have the consignment funds delivered to my approved next of kin in his house if within Europe or transferred to his bank account and if outside America it can be transferred to any where in the world.
 
 
Presently, I can only communicate with my laptop in a hospital in United Kingdom 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?? home, the deaf and dumb/churches. 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 the Holy Spirit gave me the confidence to send you this email. I took this decision before me rest in peace because my time will soon be up.
 
 
As soon as I receive your reply I will send you information that will guard and back you up. 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 the Holy spirit 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.
 
 
Waiting for your reply.
 
Yours in Christ.
Mrs. Lydia Herbert
Reply to help.charity@blumail.org

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