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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: "Marilyn Mark" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <marilynmark632@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2018 09:59:28 -0700
Subject: RE:

Dear Beloved,
I am repented Christian now and God has put it in my mind to give out
the rest of my money to Charity.
I was orphaned at the age of four and was raised in an orphanage. I
married my late husband engineer for twenty years without a child. My
husband had cardiovascular condition and died of a heart attack a few
years ago. I am a strong believer and God fearing woman as my late
husband. We live in UK for over 28 years, where my husband a
petrochemical engineer by profession, worked and rose through the
ranks to become a CEO of a multinational construction and oil service
conglomerate, before his disappearance.
Unfortunate and surprising death of my husband is priceless, usually I
decided not to remarry when my illness became terminal cancer.
Before the death of my husband, he deposited a security vault with a
security company here in London for safe keeping, in the security
vaults, it contains the sum of USD$10.5million, It's matured and the
security company has called me to step forward to claim the vault, I
cannot come to do so due to my illness here in London, And again, I'm
with my laptop in the hospital where I have been undergoing treatment
for cancer.
I have a close relative to bequeath all that my Husband and I worked
for, as such, I decided to donate this funds to charity so that when I
depart, my sole will be rest in peace for at least I have touched
lives in a little way. I am soliciting for your help to claim the
vault containing the money and help me donate to Charity organizations.
I do not know you in person but I will work with you on trust and I
want you to understand that my real intention is to assist the needy
and donate to the starved children, so I want you to consider this
mission as a charity work/humanitarian which you are involved, so
please be truthful and put in your best in this. I have decided to let
you keep 30% of the total amount when you receive the money while you
distribute the remaining 70% to charity organizations.
Kindly provide me your details:
Your full names,
Your address and,
Your phone number.
I will expect your reply as soon as possible so that I will let you
know how this money is going to be moved to you.
hanks and May God Almighty Bless you.Kindly Reply to: marilynmark632@gmail.com
My regards,
Marilyn Mark

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