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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: "Fr. Lopeti . M. John" <lopetimjohn@yandex.com>
Reply-To: "Fr. Lopeti . M. John" <h_melinda19@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:25:29 +0900 (JST)
Subject: My Dearest Friend


My Dearest Friend

I am writing you this letter with the believe you will treat my message
with utmost honesty and sincerity of purpose which is my main reason
for confiding in you even though I do not really know you before this
moment.

It is with tears that I am writing you this mail but I don't need your
pity, but love to my son. My mail may seem very pitiable, painful and
sorrowful, but there is favor I want you to do to my letter rather than
pity me alone! This is to LOVE and CARE for my only surviving child.
I was an orphan and I do not want my son to experience what I have
been through in the orphanage.

My name is Mariam Willy Douglas,I was married to the late Richard
Douglas, who died with our two daughters in Indonesia on 26th of
December 2004 during the Tsunami Disaster, as a result the shock of
that painful incident, my cancer sickness got worst and I have been
suffering from cancer, hearing problem and hypertension.
I can not trace my husband's relatives because they all perished in
disaster. At present, my only means of communicating with my doctor
and my son is through body language and writing.

I, my husband and our children had lived in Abidjan
for seventeen years. We all were supposed to travel to Indonesia in 2004
December, but my bad health, never permitted me to travel with them,
which made me and my son stayed behind while my husband and our
two daughters traveled. If not, all of us would have perished in the
Tsunami Disaster.

My reason of writing you this mail is due to the report that came to
me recently from my doctor. After my last diagnostic result, l was
told by the doctors that I may not leave for more than one month ahead,
because of the damage the cancer have caused in my system unless I
undergo an urgent surgical operation upon which my chance of survival
is less than 30% according to the medical experts. As it stands, I have
given-in to fate and have found God on my sick bed. But I have a more
worrying problem, which is why I am contacting you.

This is about my only son, his name is Johnson. Since it is now
obvious that I may die soon ,my son's future have been the greatest
problem bordering me.I want you to take care of my son please.
He is only 9 years old and we have no person here to take care of him
if I die today,I was deserted by my friends and relatives.

My Husband and I have a joint account of about 580,000.00 USD in a bank,
of which I am a signatory to and the only beneficiary of the money since after his death.
He had intended to use this money for investment in Indonesia before
his untimely death struck him.

I want you to take this money and my son. Use the money for an
investment, that you will manage until my son grows up to take over
the investment. I will like you to take my son as your own son, give
him the love I could have given him. Do not let him feel
the pains of being an orphan,give him good education, bring him up
into a responsible man.

As soon as I receive your reply in absolute truth to accept my request,
not because of the money which I offer but for the Love of my son,
I will authorize my bank to transfer the money to you directly
and I will also draw up my WILL in your favor .
This will be made with the assistance of my Late husbands attorney.
You do not have to pay any fees to the Attorney for that I will take
care of.


All I need is your assurance that you will not treat my son badly.
I am writing you this mail with great tears in my eyes and I pray you will
be honest towards this mail I write to you today.


Yours beloved.
Mariam Willy Douglas

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