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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. Shirley Gorbet" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <shirley.gorbet@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 02:26:44 -0800
Subject: My Last Wish

Dear Beloved.

I am Mrs. shirley Gorbet From Malaysia I am deaf and has cancer of the breast, My husband and I are true Christians, we lived all days in New York, U.S.A, since he was working here as a contractor, but quite unfortunately,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 Gorbet) died on air crash on a vacation to the Canary Islands, Spain.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/20/world/main4365961.shtml,

I have to sell all my properties left by my husband because the doctor said i have less than 3 months to live. Presently, this money is still in the BANK, and the management of the BANK just wrote a letter to me as the rightful Legitimate beneficiary to come forward to receive the money after keeping it for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over as a result of my present cancer illness situation, or they get it confiscated. Presently, I'm with my laptop computer in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctor have told me that I have only a few months to live.


Below is what i want to use the fund for:

(1) For the sick, Less-Privileged and destitute
(2) For the Widows and the motherless babies e.t.c
(3) Orphanages, Research centres and windows Propagating.

I knew that this letter may be a very big surprise to you, I came across your email contact from my personal search and I instructed the doctor here in this hospital to help me email you and I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die. which i prayed and fast for three weeks over it with advice of my pastor, I am willing to donate the sum of Us$12.8Million.

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.

If you are a good Christian and honest i shall give you the contact of the bank and also the deposit certificate with letter of authorization from the high court here. so as to claim my fund before my death. Expecting your urgent response and may God Bless you as you carry out my wish.



Your Dying Sister.
Mrs. Shirley Gorbet

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