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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: Elizabeth Steiner <steinerelizabeth12@yahoo.com.h>
Reply-To: steinerelizabeth18@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:42:25 +0000
Subject: Greetings from Mrs. Elizabeth Steiner



--
Greetings from Mrs. Elizabeth Steiner

Dear friend,

I am Elizabeth Steiner, a British citizen; I know that my mail will
come to you
as a surprise considering the fact that we have not been in
communication in the
past. I am contacting you today based on my desire to establish a lasting
relationship with you. In order to set-up a foundation for humanitarian aid, I
wish to donate the sum of 6.4 Million (Six Million Four Hundred
Thousand United
States Dollars) for charity support and I have chosen you for this gracious
work. I am 73 yrs old barren woman; very sick and feeble presently.
Considering
the condition of my health, I know that I will soon join my ancestors, hence I
decided to use what I inherited from my late husband to fulfill the promise I
made to him; to set-up a foundation on his name to help the downtrodden around
the globe. It is true that we have not known each other in the past but after
going through your personal information through the internet; I was
pleased with
the bit of information I gathered about you, which confirmed you capable to
handle such project. I pray that my decision of contact you shall be given a
genuine approval. I want you to know that my intention of contacting you is
genuine and has nothing evil attached to it.

I wish to use you as an instrument to achieve this great goal as many will
benefit from this donation. I want you to understand that I made this
promise to
my husband in his sickbed to use what I inherited from him to set-up a charity
foundation on his name since we could not give birth to any child
throughout our
years in marriage. I promised him this to assure that his name will always be
remembered though his dead and gone. I have decided to donate the sum of 6.4
Million (Six Million Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) out
of what I
inherited from him for setting up this charity foundation. I want you to use
this fund to build a school and give scholarship to the deserved once,
also set
up a small business and employ widows and widowers to use their skills to
produce whatever they can and sell them to make profits to help themselves, do
not forsake the orphans. You can also use your own initiative to initiate
something beneficial. I want you to use this fund wisely as you receive it.

However, I know that this task will disengage you from some of your personal
activities and in my integrity; I have decided to compensate you with
30% of the
fund for your personal use while 70% will be used for the proposed assignment.
Note that I have prayed concerning this gracious work and hope that you will
give my proposal a genuine consideration not minding that we have not
seen each
other in the past. Please be informed that I cannot handle this project by
myself considering my presently health condition, I want you to pray
concerning
this gracious work and get back to me steinerelizabeth18@yahoo.com.hk. I will
give you more details after confirming your readiness to carry out
this gracious
work with all your heart.

Thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Elizabeth Steiner.

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