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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 Howarth" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gracehowarth1@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2014 16:42:58 +0100
Subject: How Are You Today?

Good Day,
 
My name is Mrs. Grace Howarth, I am 59 years of age, a widow and an American, who is presently suffering from a long time Esophageal Cancer of the Lungs as diagnosed by my doctor.  I was
 
married to Late Engr. George Howarth of blessed memory, who worked with the Exxon Mobil Oil and Gas Company as an engineer and a seasoned contractor in America, Asia and Europe,
 
before he died in 2006.  Myself and my husband were married for fifteen years without children, and after his death, I decided not to re-marry or get a child outside my matrimonial home.
 
I fought against cancer four years after his death, fibroid problems and hearing impairment as a result of drug reactions. Recently, my doctor informed me that I have a very limited days to live due
 
to my cancerous ailment which has become very deteriorating, though what bothers me most is the stroke that I have in addition to the cancer.
 
When my late husband was alive, he had deposited the sum of 6,800,000.00 GBP (Six Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling) which were derived from his vast estates and investment
 
in capital market with his bank in Europe. This fund is still lying in the bank.  With this hard reality that has befallen me and considering the fact that I was an orphan been brought up from a
 
motherless babies home, I have decided to Donate / WILL the said sum of 6,800,000.00 GBP to you and want you to use 70% of this gift which comes from my husbands effort to fund the upkeep
 
of widows, widowers, orphanages, destitute, the down-trodden, physically challenged children, barren-women and probably build an orphanage home after my name, while the remaining 30% will
 
be for your kindness and assistance. 
 
I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this money, and I do not want my husbands hard earned money to be misused in an ungodly manner or invested into any ill
 
perceived ventures, hence the reason for taking this bold decision.  My happiness is that I lived a life worthy of emulation as a good Christain. Hope to hear from you soon.  You can contact me
 
through my personal email address at:  gracehowarth1@aol.com
 
Thanking you in advance for everything.
 
Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Grace Howarth
 

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