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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: "Rita William" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <roziski.wils@inbox.lv>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2015 14:13:58 -0000
Subject: Compliments From Solomon Islands

Greetings to you my dear beloved

Your first reaction to this mail will be total rejection, scare and may be unbelief, owing largely to the atrocities people commit these days in quest for easy wealth. This email comes from a devastated, sorrowful and emotional laden soul that needs compassion from a kind and conscience driven person like you, who can wipe away tears of the less privileged and destitute against all odds, perhaps when I am gone beyond this sinful world.

I am Mrs Rita William from Solomon Islands. I was married to late Dr. Angelo Lagu who worked with Sierra Leone Embassy for nine years before he died in the year 2013 after a brief illness and left me with unimaginable pain to eternity. As the direct beneficiary to my late husbands life savings and life insurance gratuity, I have received several invitations from the bank in Africa for the claim of the sum of Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars, the accrued savings and life insurance gratuity of my late husband is with the Finance Institution in Africa, Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Due to this hard reality that has befallen me since the death of my late husband, i have been unable.

I have been diagnosed of a complex case of ovarian cancer that has spread into my pelvic cavity, consequently, is due for surgery as the only cure. According to experts, a cure that allows me to breath for few days. Obviously, according to my doctor, i may die any moment from the sickness.

When my husband was still alive, my husband and I made a vow to uplift the down trodden and the less privileged individuals as he had passion for persons who cannot help themselves due to physical disability or financial predicament. I can adduce this to the fact that he needed more children from our relationship which never came.

This money $3.5million that i am about to entrust in your possession is still with the Bank. I want you to recover the money for the prudent care of the less privileged individuals, distributing to orphanage homes and other people that needs help in our continent. Since my illness is terminal and the fact that we do not have many children i could pass on this heritage and my late husband's relatives have plundered so much of my late husband's wealth, i cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them because my only daughter is like my mirror now. In view of the complexity of my illness, my best legacy now for the less privileged individuals will be to have them grown into adulthood under the supervision of someone whose mind is driven by conscience.

My Bible made me to understand that "Blessed is the hand that giveth". I do not have many children that will inherit this money and i do not want this hard earned money to be misused or invested into ill perceived ventures or ungodly manner. My happiness is that I lived a life worthy of emulation. Please kindly get back to me if you are willing to assist me in this endeavour. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Bank. I will also issue a letter of authorization to the bank that will prove you the present beneficiary of this money. Any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing another good person.

Thank you
Mrs. Rita William

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