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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: Ford Grace <fordgrace868@yahoo.pt>
Reply-To: Ford Grace <graceford09@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 23:42:01 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: Hello Dearest Beloved in the Lord,


 Hello Dearest Beloved in the Lord,Greeting and peace be upon you as you read this message, I know this letter  will come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to  go through it carefully as the decision you'll make will go a long way to facilitate my peaceful repose and the  manifestation of my last wish. I am Mrs. Grace Ford an aging widow of 67 years old suffering from long time chronic organ failure resulting from terminal cancer which has left me paralyzed and bedridden for the past 3 years.
I was recently notified my late husband Mr. Terry Ford who died in the Air France Flight 447 crash had an outstanding and unclaimed cash deposit account worth the sum of US$5,500,000.00 whose deposit documents bears my name as the next of kin and is presently facing danger of being declared a dormant account and returned to the government treasury.
My present state of health does not permit me to take any direct action here and I do not wish to have the wealth of my late husband end up in the hands of undeserving government officials. I need a very honest and God fearing Christian who I can make the executor of my WILL and have this unclaimed funds released to so it could be used for charity works.MY GREATEST WISH IS TO GIVE THIS FUNDS SECURED AND USED FOR CHARITY WORKS.I choose you from the several email contacts presented to by the nursing staff and after honest prayers to the LORD to bring me a helper and I decided to contact you if you may be willing and interested to handle these trust funds in good faith before anything happens to me.
I am in urgent need of your cooperation and I believe a divine force is driving me to contact you for this noble task; you must not fail me and the millions of the poor people in our today's WORLD. This is my legitimate inheritance and NOT stolen money and there are no dangers involved as all is 100% RISK FREE with concrete legal proof.
Please if you would be able to cooperate with me as my legally appointed executor of my last Will and Testament and ensure my inheritance is put to good use benefiting the less privileged and victims of natural disasters around the globe.
Reply to me only in my email box for the Security reason ( graceford09@gmail.com )
Yours Sister in the LordMrs. Grace Ford

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