joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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: Serena Opra <serenaopra@bell.net>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 20:28:44 +0000
Subject: Devotional Project

From: Mrs. Serena Opra

Dear beloved.

Calvary Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am Mrs
Serena Opra, a widow since Wednesday, 20 August 2008, I am 57years old
and suffering from Colon cancer and High Blood Pressure.

>From all indications, my condition is really deteriorating and is
quite obvious that I may not live more than four months as the doctors
medical reports addressed to my husband's family as top secret has
revealed to because the cancer stage has gotten to a very severe
stage.

My reasons of writing to you is because i lost my beloved husband and
my only son through a fatal air crash. Then after their death, I
received the grace to became a born again Christian and since all
these time, I decided not to remarry or get a child outside my
matrimonial home which the Bible is against.

Having known my condition, my point is this, I inherited from my late
husband the sum of 10M US dollars ( Ten Million U.S. Dollars) cash
which my late husband concealed in a trunk box and safeguard with a
security company in Europe and he registered it as family valuables.
Presently, this box is still there in the vault of the Security
Company.

I have decided to donate this money to a church, organization or
better still an individual that will utilise this money the way I am
going to instruct herein.

I want a church, organization or individual that will use this Fund
to help the poor and needy otherwise, to the benefit of the less
fortunate; ( orphanages, widows, help victims of nature, supporting
destitute aged men and women in Europe, Africa, America and Asia).

"Hebrew 6 tells me to be faithful because God is faithful: verse 10
tells me that for God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of
love which you have shown toward his names in that you have ministered
to the saints and do minister".

I took this decision because I don`t have any other child that will
inherit this money and my husband relatives are wicked. I don`t want a
situation where my husband`s hard earned money will be used in an
ungodly manner or to be misused by unbelievers. This is my reason for
taking this bold decision and vow.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 says When you make a vow to God do not delay to pay
it; Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. I am not afraid of
death hence I know where I am going. I believe that I am going to be
in the bossom of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says that "(the lord will
fight my case and I shall hold my peace").

I don`t need any telephone communication in this regard because of my
health, but mostly because of the presence of my husband`s relatives
around me always. I don`t want them to know about this decision.

Lastly, I want you/your ministry to be praying for me as regards to my
entire life and my health because I have to come and find out since my
spiritual birth lately that wealth acquisition without Jesus Christ in
one's life is vanity upon vanity. If you have to die says the Lord,
keep fit and I will give you the crown of life. With God all things
are possible.

As soon as I receive your response, I shall give you the contact of a
lawyer who will assist you for the release of the box to you with a
letter of authority that will empower you as the original- beneficiary
of the box.

Please assure me that you will use this money accordingly as I stated herein.

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the sweet
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

Yours in Christ.
Mrs Serena Opra.

Anti-fraud resources: