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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 Esther Spagnolo <mrjohnsuch@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrs.esthers@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 15:41:20 -0600
Subject: Hello Beloved,


Hello Beloved,

It is my pleasure to write this mail to you , thanks for your effort in providing an opportunity to read my mail. I am giving you my trust and wish you will give me back the trust i have given you and I believe that you will be honest to fulfill my final wish before I will die.

My name is Mrs. Esther Spagnolo, I am 58 years old and I was diagnosed for cancer for about 10 years, after the death of my husband Who Ran into the hands of Rebels and was killed during the crisis here in Abidjan Cote D’Ivoire in the year 2002, And during the period of our marriage we couldn't produce any child due to Fibroid Disease that affected my Womb and since his Death I decided not to re-marry, I have since lost my ability to do anything by myself and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live because of my Present health Condition.

My late husband and I made a vow to uplift the down-trodden and the less-privileged individuals in the society, as we both had passion for those people who cannot help themselves due to physical disability or financial predicament, I decided to WILL/donate the fund $5.2million U S Dollars to you since I do not have a child of my own that will represent me, due to Fibroid Disease which affects my Womb.

>From all indication my condition is really deteriorating,and my Doctors have courageously Advise me that I have limited days to live, due to the cancer stage has reached a critical stage, but What bothers me most is the Hypoglycemia that I have in addition with the cancerous ailment.

With the hard reality that has befallen me, I have decided to donate the funds to you and I want you to use the Donation which comes from my late husband effort to establish a charity Foundation for Orphanages and Children’s Homes” for the upkeep of widows, orphans, destitute, the down- trodden, physically challenged children,barren-women and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially around you, as it is often said that blessed is the hand that giveth.

I took the bold decision to contact you, because I do not have any child to inherit the money and my late husband relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy persons that will misuse and invest the money into ill perceived ventures if willed to them, instead of helping the poor in a worthy manner.

You should contact me immediately you receive this mail, so that I will put you in contact with the
establishment to enable you arrange with them on how to transfer the fund for the Charity Project.

I can't predict what will be my fate by the time you will receive the fund, But you should please
ensure that the fund is used as l have described above.

Please reply me as soon as possible.

Your Dying Sister,
Mrs. Esther Spagnolo.

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