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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 Ella Mel" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ellamel.6345@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 00:04:37 +0100
Subject: FROM MRS ELLA MEL,PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY.

Dear God's elect,
 
I believe you will do better than I think,
 
It is understandable that you may be a bit apprehensive because you do not know me.I am writing this email to you with
 
serious tears in my eyes and great sorrow in my heart, My Name is Mrs. Ella MEL.I am contacting you from my country
 
Tunisia . I want to tell you this because I don’t have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to open up to you, I
 
am married to Late Dr. Michael MEL who worked with Tunisian embassy in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso in
 
west Africa for nine years before he died in the year 2012. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a
 
brief illness that lasted for five days. Since his death I decided not to remarry again.When my late husband was alive he
 
deposited the sum of US$95 Million (Ninety Five million United States dollars) with the JP Morgan Europe Limited.
 
Presently this money is still in that bank. He made this money available for exportation of Gold from Burkina mining.
 
Recently.Now I am seriously sick and have been diagnosed of cancer of the heart.My Doctor told me that I would not last
 
for the period of 2 months due to the extent the cancer have eaten. The one that disturbs me most is that some part of my
 
body is paralyzed.
 
Having known my condition I decided to hand his mission over to you so that you will be able to contact the bank where this
 
fund is as the next of kin to my husband and then claim the fund.I will want you to take care of the less-privileged, you will
 
utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein. I want you to take 30 Percent of the total money for your personal
 
use While 70% of the money will go to charity work.
 
I Know you may be surprise why I said the money should be chanelled to charity.I grew up as an Orphan and I don't have
 
anybody as my family member, just to endeavor that the house of God is maintained. Am doing this so that God will forgive
 
my sins and accept my soul because this sickness has suffered me so much. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you
 
the contact of the bank in the United Kingdom and I will also link you up with my late husbands lawyer to issue you an
 
authority letter that will prove that you are the next of kin/beneficiary of the fund in the bank.
 
 
Remain blessed
 
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ella MEL

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