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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)
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2018 06:22:54 -0700
Subject: Re: Good Evening,



--
Good Evening,

Greetings to you and your family as this letter may come to you as a
surprise because we have not yet met but I believe am writing to an
honest person regardless we are strangers at this moment.
I got your details from GOOGLE search and I pray hard to GOD to direct
me to the rightful person who will be able to do this project with trust
and honesty, and my heart went for you because am sure you are not a
jobless person but someone who can help me. With the help of God
Almighty I believe I am writing to the right person I want to say I have
no intentions of causing you any pains. As you read this, I do not want
you to feel sorry for me because I believe everyone will die someday.

My name is Gerald Donald born and brought up in London; 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 a
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 but my business.
Though I am very rich I was never generous, I was always hostile to
people and only focus on my business as that was the only thing I cared
about. But now I regret all this as I 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.

Now that I know my time is near, I have willed and given most of my
properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as
well as a few close friends.

I have also decided to give alms to charity organizations, for 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 in Philippines, Nepal,
Vietnam, Africa and Sri Lanka. Now that my health has deteriorated so
badly, I cannot do this myself any more. I once asked members of my
family to close one of my accounts and donate the money which I had in
that account to charity organization in Bulgaria, they refused and 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.

The last of my money is a huge cash deposit in a financial institute
Oversea. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and dispatched
it to charity organizations.
I am writing from my laptop computer in my bedroom where I await my last
days. I pray that God uses you to support and assist me with good heart,
thanks and looking forward to hearing from you. Have a nice day.

Yours faithfully,
Mr. Gerald Donald,
Please send your reply to this E-mail: geralddonald46@gmail.com

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