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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. Rosemary Burrows." <coscomarine@cosco.com.sg>
Reply-To: <burrowsrosemary58@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Jan 2017 09:11:28 -0600
Subject: Good day...,

BELOVED IN CHRIST
Greetings in the name of God.
 
Please let this not sound strange to you, for my only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this year. To that effect, I prayed and searched and got your email id from your country's religion guestbook.  My real names are Mrs. Rosemary Burrows from London-England, but people who knew used to call me 'Rosy"B" I am 58 years old. For a long time, I am diagnosed with cancer of the breast which is presently almost affecting my sensory organs. From all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and getting worse. It is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the next few months, this is because my ill-stage has gotten to a very bad state.
 
I was brought up from a motherless babies home and got married to a man who was my late husband for twenty years of childlessness. My husband died in a fatal motor accident, before his death we were true Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all our assets and deposited the sum of US$1.2million with a security company which is still at present with the Security Company and the management of the Security Company notified me last week to come forward and receive the money because its account has been dormant for so long or I should rather issue a letter of authorization to someone to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over there personally because of the condition of my health.
 
As I am writing this letter to you, I am using my 14 inch laptop computer in a hospital here in Switzerland where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer. I have completely lost the ability to talk. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested in any organization of your choice and distributed each year among other charity homes, the less privileged and the motherless babies home I want you as God fearing person, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows. I took this decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security Company. I will also issue you a Letter of Authorization that will prove you as the new beneficiary of my Estate fund. .. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated 
herein by replying to me through this email (burrowsrosemary58@gmail.com)... Nowadays there are so much scams going on in the internet and it is difficult to trust but i don't know why the Holy spirit still approved Me to email you about this out of few email addresses i have from the internet, yours was the only one that was approved for me to contact.
 
Waiting to hear from you soon
Yours truly,
Mrs. Rosemary Burrows.
burrowsrosemary58@gmail.com

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