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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: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: mrwill_linger2014@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 2017 17:23:34 +0800
Subject: A CALL TO SERVE!!! ( PLEASE DON'T IGNORE THIS

Compliments of the day to you! By this e-mail, I do immensely apologize for my
intrusion
of your privacy. However, I have a serious concerned with which I believe you
might be
of help but i don’t want you to feel sorry for me because I know everyone will
die and
for this reason, I can not but reach out to someone- a fellow Brethren. My
name is Mr
William Linger, a business tycoon based in British Virgin Islands. I have been
diagnosed
with prostate and esophageal Cancer that was discovered very late due to my
laxity in
caring for my health. It has defiled all form of medicine and right now, I
have only
about just few months to live according to medical experts. I have not
particularly
lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself or
my family
but my business. Though I am very rich, I was never caring, I was always
hostile to
people and only focus on my business as that was the only thing I ever cared
for. But
now I regret all this, as I now know that there is more to life than just
wanting to
have or make all the money in the world. I believe if God gives me a second
chance to
come to this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived
it. Since
the announcement of the diagnosed with prostate and esophageal Cancer and the
time I
have to stay on earth, I have decided to give alms to charity organizations,
as I want
this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.

So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations here in British
Virgin
Islands and also in Indonesia, and some African Countries. Now that my health has
deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked members
of my
family to close one of my accounts in Bulgaria and donate the money to charity
organization in Bulgaria; they connived and instead kept the money to
themselves. Hence,
I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contended with what I have
left for
them and others, they stole from me.

The last of my money, which is the huge cash deposit that I have with
Financial Firm
abroad. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and distribute it to
charity
organizations in your country and let them know that I Mr William Lingeris
making this
generous donation. I am writing this from my laptop computer in my hospital
bed where I
wait for my time to come. I pray that God uses you to support and assist me
with good
heart. All I need from you is Truthfulness, Honesty and Sincerity assuring me
that you
can in all honesty and obedience utilize the funds for the purpose with which
it is
meant for. In any case, a quick response from you will be highly appreciated
as I am
already on a count-down and may not have ample time to finalize the
procedures. Any
delay in response may compel me to source for other measures or perhaps choose the
alternative which I will not be happy to. As soon as I receive your reply I
shall give
you the contact of the Bank and how much I deposited there. I will also issue
you a
Letter of Authority that will empower you as the original beneficiary of this
fund. My
happiness would be if my last wish is obeyed. Please always be prayerful all
through and
try as much as possible to learn from my lessons in your life.

Also, please assure me that you will act just as I have stated herein. Please,
do not
see this as a strange possibility or an unbelievable opportunity to make
wealth, rather
see this as a rare chance to assist the less privileged in truth and in spirit
with a
substance. Hope to hear from you soon and God bless you and members of your
family.
Contact me through my private e-mail (mrwill_linger2014@yahoo.co.uk) I am
waiting for
your reply and God be with you.

Regards,
Mr. William Linger

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