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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: "Miss. Britta Orgovanyi-Hanstein" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <brittaorgovanyi@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 6 May 2015 14:43:39 +0100
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU?

My Dear Beloved,
 
Based on your good profile, i want to solicit for your help in fulfilling my wish and my late husband desire,  My name is Mrs. Britta Orgovanyi –Hanstein,  I am legally married to late Mr. Weisman  Peiper  Hanstein, i and my late husband where both citizens of  Austria in Europe, but we lived and  work in West Africa  Ivory Coast,  for the past 30 years My late husband worked with the PETROCI (www.petroci.ci) oil company as an expatriate here in west Africa for many years before he died in January 2013. We were both married without a child. My husband died after a brief illness that lasted for only one week and was buried here.
 
My late husband deposited the sum of one million five hundred thousand Euro (1,500.000.00 €) with one of the international banks here in Africa,  and he also signed an agreement with the bank that the funds will be transferred abroad and  use for charitable purposes in abroad such as;  helping the motherless babies, and giving help to the helpless children and poor people Abroad.
 
i am writing you this message on my sick bed at the hospital where i am undergoing medical treatment,  i have been diagnosed of Endometrial cancer unfortunately for me,  my doctor said that  i don't have any chance to survive except by a miracle,  i have spent a lot of money on medical treatment yet no improvement.
 
The  reason why i am writing you this letter is because i want you to stand as beneficiary to the sum of my € 1.5 Million (One million five hundred thousand Euro) i don’t have any biological child of my own who will inherit this money neither do i have any adopted child,  My relatives and friends have plundered so much of my husband wealth since my illness and i cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them anymore.
 
I want you to transfer these funds (1,500.000.00 €) into your bank account.
After the transfer to your bank account, you will collect 30% for yourself and use the remaining 70% to do the charitable work in your country,  such as helping the motherless babies and helping the poor children as I earlier said.
 
Finally, you have to take this matter very serious because my conditions here  in the hospital is getting worst every day, and I want you to reply back to me immediately you read my mail today,  so that I will directly you further more on how you will go on this, I want the wish of my late husband to be accomplished, even if I die I will be happy wherever I am,
 
Expecting to your message soonest
Sincerely Sister,
Mrs. Britta Orgovanyi Hanstein
 

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