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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: "Mercy Edward" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mercyedward@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2015 07:39:54 -0400
Subject: extend your Godly help to these people? /

Dear beloved one
 
I greet you in the name of God, I'm Mrs. Edward Mercy , the wife of late Mr. Stephen Edward a citizen of France, Director of a textile company owner, business man, a miner at Gold mining company, he was also a geologist and a mining consultant to several other mining conglomerates operating Cote D`Ivoire, china, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam all in Asia, When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of Two Million Six Hundred thousand United States Dollars in a bank. this fund was designated for humanitarian work before the sudden dead of my husband in year 2009.
 
presently my doctor confirmed to me that I have esophageal and stomach cancers and that i have just some couple of months to live. the one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness, Having known my condition I have decided to donate this fund to a trustworthy individual that will utilize this fund the way I am going to instruct here in. I want a honest person that will use this fund for orphanage, hospitals, schools, and propagation of the work of the almighty God.
 
I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this fund and my husband relatives are full of evil minded and I do not want my husband's efforts to be used by evil minded person. I do not want a situation where this fund will be used in an ungodly manner. That's why I'm taking this decision. I'm not afraid of death, so I know where I'm going. Exodus 14 vs 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I hold my peace.
 
If you are touched and have the interest of helping the less privileged living around your locality with your true heart and wish to extend your Godly help to these people in the society and be blessed through my donation, please do reply me, any delay to your reply will give me another room of looking for another person.
 
Please do reply with the following informatioms
 
Your Full Name.
Contact Address;
Country;
Age;
Occupation;
Tel;
 
God bless you.
Mercy Edward

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