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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. Sabrina Crawford" <ms.helencrawfords1@gmail.com>
Reply-To: ms.helencrawfords@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2015 07:16:32 +0300
Subject: My Wish..

Hello Beloved,

I hope my instincts met you well. Though, I considered this medium not to be the best manner to have approached you on this issue, being that the Internet has been greatly abused over the recent years, and is very unsecured for information of vital importance like this. I have decided to take the chance, seeing that no other means could have been more faster and efficient than the E-mail.

I'm Mrs. Sabrina Crawford, a resident of Montana, Bulgaria suffering from Leukemia. I was married to Sir. William Crawford a Bulgaria base shipping tycoon notable for his great wealth, influential extended family and charitable activities all his life before his death. My husband died after a protracted illness in August 15th 2013. Our life together as husband and wife lasted for about two and a half decades without a child.

When my husband was alive, and when i too was pretty much stronger then, we would visit the less-privileged homes, refugee camps, and victims of natural disasters in various parts of the world, and also helping the down-trodden and the less-privileged people here in our local county too, because my husband and I genuinely have passion for people who cannot help themselves, due to physical disabilities or financial in capabilities. Now that my health is greatly deteriorating, I can no longer do all these myself any more, and thus want a continuous process of this kind gesture to all the wonderful people in this world.

In 1991, my late husband invested in stocks the sum of Forty Million euros (€40,000,000), which he derived from his vast investment in capital market with a security company here in Bulgaria and named me as the sole beneficiary of this trust funds upon his demise (all records are kept with my family lawyer).Presently, the funds are still with the security company.

Two weeks ago, my Doctor told me that I have limited days to live, due to the Leukemia related problems that I have been suffering from, and also because of the hypoglycemia that I have in addition with the Leukemia. With the hard reality that has befallen me, I have decided to donate the funds to you and I want you to use the gift which comes from my late husband effort to establish a charity foundation that will be known and called "Crawford Orphanage and Children's Home" for the upkeep of widows, orphans, physically challenged children, and persons who prove to be genuinely handicapped financially around you, as it is often said that blessed is the hand that giveth. I took the bold decision to contact you, because I do not have any child to inherit the money, and my late husband relatives are bourgeois and very wealthy persons, that will misuse and invest the money into ill perceived ventures if willed to them, instead of helping the poor in a worthy manner as required.

So, I want you to immediately contact my family lawyer, Barrister Graham Westley (grahamwestley_firm@qq.com) and tell him that I have willed the funds to you by quoting my personal reference number Law/chamber/cfd/WILL/bg/785/2420218, as I have earlier today authorized him to issue a Letter of Authority in your favor to the security company handling the stocks as soon as you contact him. He will also endorse my WILL; therein you will be named as the sole beneficiary of the trust funds. Please ensure to provide to him, all that he may require to finalize the arrangement, and make sure you maintain a confidential and cordial relationship with him even in my absence, because he is a very trust worthy and caring person.

My happiness today is that, my life is worthy of emulation and I want you to do the same by been kind-hearted throughout your life. Please, remember to put me in your daily prayers, because it is what I need the most right now.

With Love,
Mrs. Sabrina Crawford.

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