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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.Elsie@yahoo.com
Reply-To: sg_murray@outlook.com
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2016 09:47:07 +0200
Subject: Dear beloved one.

Dear beloved,

I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to choose you among the numerous Internet users in the world. The Internet has made the world a global village where you can reach anybody you have not met before. Before I go further, permit me to give you a little of my biography. I am Mother Elsie Beth Burrows, 83 years old businesswoman based in the United States. I'm the mother of Rodney Burrows who he and his wife were victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight (MH370/MAS370) which crashed in the southern Indian Ocean on March 8, 2014 on its way from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport killing all aboard. Rodney Burrows and his wife are number 8 and 9 on the list...Please visit the site below for the list of victims:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303369904579427230127866184

Rodney was my only son and after the tragic death of my husband in 1982, I became the Head of his investment and now that I am old and weak I have decided to spend the rest of my life with my family and loved ones whom I never had time for during the course of my business life, but before the death of my husband we had plans to use the last days of our lives to donate half of what we have worked for to the less privilege and charity homes and the other half for ourselves, family members and close friends. Unfortunately my husband is not alive today to do this with me and I am very weak and old now, hence I have decided to do this philanthropic work on his behalf.

Presently, I have willed out almost half of our assets to several charity homes and to some of the less privilege in different Countries. Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the deprived, we also agreed to render support to an individual we have not met before in life due to the fact when we were still young in life we receive an anonymous help from an individual we did not know and still haven't being able to him know him till date. The impact we got from such gesture made us agree to do the same. So I'm sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance to know me because I have just concluded the assignment which my husband and I have agreed upon before his tragic death and you happened to be the beneficiary of our last WILL, irrespective of your previous financial status, hence I need you to do me a favor by accepting our offer that will cost you nothing. I have presently deposited a check in the sum of US$4,800,000.00 with the United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S) outlet in the U.S.

For your information, I have paid for the delivering Charge, Insurance Premium and Clearance Certificate Fee of the Check to show that it is not for an illegitimate purpose or to sponsor terrorism in your Country. You have to contact the U.S.P.S Store for the delivery of your Check with this information bellow:

The United States Postal Service
Contact Person: Mr. Steve G. Murray
E: sg_murray@outlook.com


Again, you are not to pay for the delivering Charge, the Insurance premium and the Clearance Certificate Fee of the Check because I have already paid for them, the only money you are expected to pay is US$300 for the security keeping of the check so far. I would have paid the fee but the company insisted that I should not because they don't know when you will be contacting them and to avoid demur rage or further cost. You are to reconfirm the below information to them to avoid any mistake on the Delivery.


Full Name:
Postal address:
Direct telephone number:
Security Keeping Code:

This is the security keeping code: (CP-812-212-633-US) of your check, you are to send it to them for verification before delivery. Let me repeat again, try to contact them as soon as you receive this email to avoid any delay and remember to ask them to provide you with the method they wish to use in receiving their security keeping fee of US$100 for their immediate action.

Note: Please I do not want you to thank me or my husband, all I need you to do is to invest wisely and do the same good to someone someday as this world would be a better and safer place if we all render selfless services to one another.


Yours faithfully,

Mrs. Elsie Beth Burrows.

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