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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: James Catoun <j.catoun@yahoo.com.ph>
Reply-To: catounjames@live.com
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:04 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Dear beloved friend,


Dear
beloved friend,























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































I know that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I am giving you my
trust and wish you will give me back the trust i have given you . I believe
that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.



I am Mr. JAMES CATOUN , I am 58 years old, I am suffering from a long time
cancer of the blood .From all indication my condition is really deteriorating,
and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next
two months, this is because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage. I
was brought up in a motherless baby's home, and was married to my late wife for
twenty years without a child. My wife and I are true Christians, but quite
unfortunately, she died in a labor room so i could not hear the cry of a child
in my house Since her death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my belongings
and deposited all the sum of $10.2million dollars with a security company, as
it was packaged and registered as a personal Valuable.



Presently, this money is still in their custody, and the management just wrote
me as the Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the Deposit after
keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to
receive it on my behalf since I cannot come over as a result of my illness, Presently,
I’m with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. I have
since lost my ability to walk about or do anything by myself and my doctors
have told me that I have only a few months to live.



It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any business of your
choice and the gain made every year or 6 months as the case may be, distributed
each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless baby's
home where I come from. I want your good humanitarian, to also use this money
to fund churches, orphanages and widows around, 20% for you, I must let you
know that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take a bold step towards
this issue because I have no further option. I hope you will help see my last
wishes come true.



As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security
company. I will also issue you a letter of authority, which will prove that you
are the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure me that you will act
accordingly as I stated herein.



Hope to hear from you soonest at catounjames@live.com



awaiting your reply



yours Sincerely

Mr. James Catoun

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