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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 Franklin Karen" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrsfranklinkaren@163.com>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2016 09:22:48 -0700
Subject: PRIVATE MESSAGE

 
Greetings to you
 
 
I am Mrs Franklin Karen, I was married to Dr. Van Karen, who worked with National Iranian South oil company (NISOC) for twenty three years before he died in the year 2006, May be you must have heard about him in the oil firm. We were married for thirty-seven years without a child. He died during one of the war in Iran. He was held hostage and slain to death by protesting youths of the region.
 
Before his death we were both devoted Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry. When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum USD$5,000,000.00 (Five Million U.S. Dollars) with Us Bank . Presently, this money is still with the Bank and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I can not come over.
 
Presently, Im in the hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only less than (2) two months to live.
 
It is my last wish to see that this money is invested wisely and at the end of every year funds are distributed among charity organization.
 
I want a reliable and honest person that will use this money to reach to the motherless and also less privileges, to reach to the Katrina Hurricane, the sick that has no body to take care of them, the poor and widows and to set up a Cancer research.
If you are willing and honest enough to do my wishes, as soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the lawyer who will give you the documents/details of the transaction and guide you through the process.
My Barrister will issue letter of authorization that will prove you as the new beneficiary of this fund.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated therein.
Please do all things possible to make my wish come through. Email Me On(mrsfranklinkaren@163.com)
 
Hoping to hearing from you soon.
Mrs Franklin Karen

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