419 scam: "Mrs Helen Smith from USA," <jessicalync17@gmail.com> Attention helping donation from cancer woman

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- hs268919@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Helen Smith from USA," <jessicalync17@gmail.com>
Reply-To: hs268919@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2020 16:38:08 +0700
Subject: Attention helping donation from cancer woman

--
Dearest.

Peace be unto you and your family?

I am Mrs. Helen Smith from USA, I am 83 years old and have breast cancer,
and I am presently undergoing treatment at the Preston Royal Hospital,
London United Kingdom, I lost my husband late Mr. Bill Smith years ago
without a child of mine.
I have to sell all the properties left by my husband because the doctors
said I have to live less than two months from now.
I deposited funds worth $3.5million dollars I realized from the sale of our
estate with one of the banks here as family valuable.

I would like to DONATE this fortune to you if you are a good and honest
person, I will have you contact the bank here and claim the funds before I
die with my lawyer's assistance if you promise me that you are going to
carry out my wishes to the very last without going contrary.
I look forward to your positive response, and may God bless you as you
carry out my wishes, contact me via my private email: hs268919@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Mrs. Helen Smith

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam