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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: "coulsonpritchard.com" (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2015 03:39:25 +0100
Subject: Mrs Humpherys Lorraine Mary.

Hello,

How are you today my dear? I hope you are doing fine. My name is Mrs. Humpherys Lorraine Mary, widow to late Engineer Osman Humpherys, a former contractor with Repsol S.A., a Petroleum & Gas Company here in Madrid, Spain. I got your contact details an Association, hence my contact with you. I am 56years old and suffering from long-time Cancer of the breast. From all indications my condition is deteriorating and it is quite obvious that I will not live long according to the doctor report. This is because the cancer has gotten to a very critical stage.

My late husband died early last year from heart attack, and during the period of our marriage we could not produce any child. The doctor has advised that I have limited time to live which is the reason I decided to contact you to help me secure the US$75 million which my late husband left behind. Before my late husband died he was a major oil contractor in Spain, and the fund was deposited in my name in a Security Vault here in Spain by my husband before his death.

In respect of the Doctor´s report about my health, I decided to contact you so that you can secure the funds and distribute it to charity. The funds will be entirely hands-on management. I hope God gives you the wisdom to touch lives with the fund. 30% of thefund will be for your time and effort, while 70% should go to charity.

I will appreciate your efforts in helping me touch mankind before and after I die, and I will also appreciate it if you visit me here in the hospital during these last days. Kindly contact me via my personal email: ( mrshlmary@live.com ) so that I will direct you on how to go about the funds. I await your valued response. God bless you.

Yours sincerely,
Mrs Humpherys Lorraine Mary.


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