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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: <rpecoffice@e-mile.co.uk>
Reply-To: <helenestearns@ovi.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 12:27:22 +0100
Subject: Urgent Reply. Thanks

Greetings!
I hope this message will find you in your best of health. It is not my intention to introduce myself to you through this unconventional means. I unassumingly solicit for your utmost consideration. I am Mrs.Helene Stearns, a widow to late Mr.Gavin Stearns who died in an Egyptian airline 990 with other passengers on board.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm).

I lost my first pregnancy because of the trauma and became sick of Cervix Cancer with associated illness resulting from years of loneliness and childlessness. As a result, I dedicated my life to minor charity work and since then, I have been in and out of the hospital. Believing God to see me through in the proposed medical surgery which the doctors are deciding because of the deteriorating state of my health, I have decided to fulfill a vow to give out the deposit which my late husband had left me and the ever hoped child. Please bear in mind that you must show honesty and personal commitment in this humanitarian project with focus on human development through building vocational centers, health and others. The aim is to engage the less privileged and the depressed in productive and social activities that will make them feel loved. By so doing, you will not only sustain them and the project but help them to build and reshape their future for better society which we all had !
dreamed. Therefore, my prayer is p

Be blessed.
Helene Stearns

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