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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.Rebecca Pinto" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <msrebeccapinto@yahoo.es>
Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:59:30 -0500
Subject: KINDLY REPLY IF YOU CAN HANDLE!

29/11/2012
 
Dear Sir/Madam.
 
Greetings to you and how are you doing today, I hope you are doing well spiritually and otherwise.
 
I am Mrs. REBECCA PINTO from Holland, widow and I was married to late Mr. PINTO MARTINEZ of Holland, the CEO of MARTINEZ Exploration. I am 56 years old, strong in faith and committed to Christian work. Presently I am suffering from a long time cancer of the breast which has affected my entire body system. The cancer has reached a critical stage according to report, so my doctors have courageously informed me that I would not live past the next two to three months even though I still believe in the miracle power of our Lord Jesus. I was raised in an orphanage Home, and was lucky to be married to my late husband for twenty-eight years without a child.
 
My husband and I are true Christians and so after his death I decided not to re-marry; he died in a fatal auto crash in 2008. After the death of my husband, I sold all my inherited belongings from him and deposited all the cash proceeds amounting to $27,300,000.00 USD (Twenty Seven Million, Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars, with a Bank because I could not function effectively to invest into businesses or look after my late husband’s business after his death due to my ill health.
 
Presently, the money is deposited with a commercial Bank, and I have received a letter from the management of the holding bank urging me to come forward and run the account deposit having kept it for such a long period of time or rather invest the proceeds into Foreign Exchange Stocks or real estate business with the bank, this was the advice of my account officer. But honestly I am not willing and not healthy enough to look into it since I do not have much time to spend here on earth as a result of my illness hence my decision to DONATE the funds to charity and the less privileged. I have been undergoing treatment for some months now but there has been no improvement.
 
It is my last wish to see that this money is invested into a Charitable Organization which will be named after me “REBECCA PINTO CHILD CARE FOUNDATION”; So I am seeking for a God fearing person or organization who will also use part of this money to support the Gospel and the Churches, the needy and Widows in the aged homes. I must tell you that this was a very hard decision, but I had to take a bold step towards this since I have no life left in me anymore, and I hope you will help me see my last wishes come true. Some of this money will also be used to take care of Elderly Women (less privileged ones) who are suffering from cancer of the early stages.
 
If you are willing to take up on this project, please send me your full names and telephone contact number(s) so that I will write my WILL to appoint you as my next of kin (Administrator) to my estate which will be used to establish the “REBECCA PINTO CHILD CARE FOUNDATION”.
 
 
You must assure me that you will act accordingly as I have stated herein. I hope to hear from you soonest if you are willing to help the less privileged amongst us and accomplishing my last wishes.
Please kindly get back me to at: mrsrebeccapinto@hotmail.com
 
Yours in Christ,
 
Mrs. Rebecca Pinto

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