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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: "mrswinlytheresa@yahoo.com" <mrswinlytheresa@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 24 May 2018 03:57:49 +0000 (UTC)
Subject: CAN YOU HELP ME?


Dear Friend,   
  Good day and compliments of the seasons, I know it is true that this letter may come to you as a surprise. Nevertheless, I humbly ask you to give me your attention and hear me, well got you email id from your country's ministries of commerce and foreign trade departments. I am writing this mail to you with heavy sorrow in my heart, this massage mighty come to you as surprise but i chose to reach you through Internet because it still remains the fastest medium of communication through this medium Internet has been greatly abused. 
    My name is Mrs Theresa Heidi i am a dying woman and i decided to donate what I have to you for charity work/assistance to less privileged people in the society. I am 62 years old and I was diagnosed of cancer for about 4 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me everything he worked for and because my doctor told me that i would not last for the period of one year due to cancer problem. Because of my health, I have some funds inherited from my late husband, the sum of (16.5 Million Dollars) and I needed a very honest person who can withdraw this money then use the funds for Charity works.
   I decided to contact you if you may be willing and interested to handle these trust funds in good faith before anything happens to me. I want a good person who will use the money to work for charity homes and I have chosen you after going through your profile. I want this money to be share to the less privileged since I do not have a child to inherit the money.
    Hence the reason for taking this bold decision because I do not have any child who will inherit this money after I die. I am desperately in keen need of assistance and I have summoned up courage to contact you for this task, you must not fail me and the millions of the poor people in our today world. This is not a stolen money and there are no dangers involved, is 100% risk free with full legal proof.
 This money is still with the bank and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it confiscated.I would have like to meet you face to face before departing from this mother earth but due to the illness continue to deprive the chance but even if I die on the process of this operation i know that you will not fail me.
Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital here in where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the motherless babies’ home.
I want you to use this money to fund 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 them. I am absolutely assuring you that no trouble is involved in this money because this is my late husband money.
I want you to take 45 percent of the total money for your personal use while 55% of the money will go to charity. I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality and trust in this matter to accomplish my heart desire, as I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. Please kindly respond for further details. REPLY TO MY PRIVATE E-MAIL PROVIDED HERE ONLY = { mrstheresaheidi@gmail.com }   
        Yours Sister.Mrs Theresa HeidiEmail: mrstheresaheidi@gmail.com

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