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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. Grace Spencer" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrs.spencer@live.com>
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2012 06:27:19 +0100
Subject: MESSAGE FROM GRACE SPENCER

Dear Beloved

I know 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 these hospital to help me email you and I believe that you will
be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.

I am Mrs. Grace Spencer from New york United States of America but
presently in United Kingdom,I am 69 year old,suffering from a long
time cancer of the breast,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
gotten to a critical stage. I was brought up in a motherless babies home,
and was married to my late husband Johnson Spencer for twenty years
without a child.

My husband and I are true Christians,we lived all our lives in United Kingdom,
since he was working here as a contractor, but quite unfortunately,he
died in a fatal motor accident.Since his death I decided not to re-marry
and because of my bad stage of health,I sold all my inheritance value
$12.8 million USD which i packed in a metal boxes and deposited with a
Security Company as a valuable items.

Presently this boxes is still with the Security Company and the
management of the Security Company just wrote me as the
Legitimate beneficiary to come forward a receive my items after keeping it
for so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody who will
represent me since I can not come over as a result of my illness,or they
get it confiscated. I'm with a laptop in a hospital where I have been
undergoing treatment which i use with the assistance of the nurses and my
doctor around.I have since lost my ability to talk properly and my doctors
have told me that I have only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this my hard earn money is invested in any
organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charities
organization, the poor and the motherless babies home where I came from.
I want your good humanitarian,to also use these money to fund churches,
orphanages and widows within your reach.

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 wish come true.

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

Hope to hear from you soonest and the peace of they Lord be with you and
your family.

For more details contact me on: mrs.spencer@live.com


Yours dying sister,
Mrs. Grace Spencer.

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