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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. Helen Smith" <helen_smith85@live.com>
Date: Sat, 10 May 2014 14:07:58 +0200
Subject: Attn: can i trust you my good one?


Please My only Good one,

Please do not be offended for this message i am sending you now and please
do not feel it so difficulty it is very important from you please because
God knows why he ask me to contact you.

Please kindly accept my apology for sending this unsolicited message to you
.

Please I am Mrs. Helen Smith, A widow to Late Bill Smith. I am 76years old,
i am affected with cancer of the breast and stroke, I got your contact
information from my late husband diary before i decided to contact/hand you
over this project, My condition is really
deteriorating and is quite obvious that I may not live more than 2 months,
because the cancer stage has gotten its 3rd stage.

My dear, i want you to understand that before i contacted you i have
fasted and prayed to God almighty for him to lead me to the rightful
person who can help me accomplish my last wish on earth because
according to my doctor he has informed me that i may not survive this
upcoming surgical operation which i am very scared about.

After my Doctor Notice that i might not survive the surgery operation
,i have decided to give my fortune, by contributing to the lives and
well being of the poor and needy children, the poor which is very essential
and also the widow, orphanages, and cancer patients as me. I just want you
to forget about the distance between me and you.

 I am willing to donate the sum of $5.5000,000million usd and my jewelries
to you to the orphans in your
Country which is still the major inheritance which me and my late husband
has left in the bank and i do not have any child who can help me with this
also i do not want the bank to take over this fund. I wish you could be
someone who i could trust with all my heart, to make this wish of mine come
true despite my prayers over you before i get to contact you because am
only here to see if i can hand you over this fund. This is why with God in
my heart i contacted you and i want you to contact me back so we be in
contact with all the poor souls out there.

Please kindly get back to me here on my email address:
(helen_smith85@live.com) and tell me if i can trust you so that i can send
you the application letter you will send to the bank.
I wait to hear from you soon but please try to remember me in your daily
prayers.

God Bless You.

Best Regards,
Mrs. Helen Smith
The cancer woman


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