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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: "Mrs Helena Barber" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <helenabarber@qq.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 09:51:16 -0800
Subject: Mrs Helena Barber

I am Mrs Helena Barber,suffering from cancerous ailment.I was married to Mr.Raymond Barber,my husband worked with Chevron/Texaco in the United Kingdom for twenty years before he died in the year 2003.My late husband deposited the sum of 5.3 Million (Five Million Three Hundred Thousand Pounds) with a Bank in United Kingdom.

Recently,my Doctor told me that I have limited days to live due to the stroke and cancerous problems I am suffering from. I have decided to donate this fund to you and want you to use this husbands effort to fund the upkeep of widows and charities worldwide.I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy persons and I do not want my husband hard earned money to be misused.

Awaiting your urgent reply via my email.address: helenabarber@qq.com
With God all things are possible.

Your Sister in Christ,
Mrs Helena Barber
helenabarber@qq.com

Anti-fraud resources: