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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. Patricia Maria Howard." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <11patricam1@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 06:31:14 +0200
Subject: Hello my beloved in the Lord.

Hello my beloved in the Lord.
I am Mrs. Patricia Maria Howard, from republic of Ireland, born in the
state of Ohio USA. I am legally married to Mr. Michael woody Howard, a
south Africa citizen born brought up in Switzerland, I live in switzerland
with my husband for 32 years before we move down to south Africa in 1985
after my husband retirement in 1974, I am 71 years old by the grace of
god, I am a new Christian convert, suffering from long time cancer of the
breast. All indication from my doctor that my conditions is really
deteriorating and it is quite obvious that i wouldn't live more than two
months, my dear husband was involved with the January 2000 Kenya airways
plane crashed as you can see on the news line web site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6627485.stm
I choose you after viewing your profile and i have confident in you
because i have prayed. I am willing to d o n a t e the s u m of $20.5m U.S
dollars, to the less privileged. May the grace of our lord the love of god
and the fellowship of god be?
With you and your family?
I await urgent reply.
Remain blessed,
Get back to me on 11patricam@gmail.com
Mrs. Patricia Maria Howard.

Anti-fraud resources: