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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: "Mrs.Maureen Howell" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrsmaureen2224@rediffmail.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Nov 2022 21:47:16 -0800
Subject: Dearly Beloved In Chris...

Dearest in Christ,
 
Greetings to you.
 
I am Mrs.Maureen  Howell I am sure this mail would be coming to you as a surprise since we have never met before and you would also be asking why I have decided to choose you amongst the numerous internet users in the world, precisely I cannot say why I have chosen you but do not be worried for I saw your profile on the Internet, which has made me accomplish my request. May the almighty God bless and see you through with this mission if you can carefully read and digest the message below.
 
Before I move further, permit me to give you a little of my biography, I am Mother Maureen  Howell, 67 Years old woman and the wife of Late Engineer.Fuhrmann  Howell who died alongside our only child in a Plane crash on Monday the 7th of September 1998 GMT 14:22 UK while they were flying from New York to Geneva. Please see the site below for more
information. http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html
 
After the death of my husband and son ,I became the Head of his investment and just recently, the doctors handling my health issues at Cancer center: Christie Hospital NHS Trust UK, have said I may not live beyond the next two months after my next surgery,but before the death of my husband we had a plan to use the last days of our lives to donate half of what we have worked for to the less privilege and charity homes and the other half for ourselves, family members and
close friends, and it is so unfortunate that my husband is not alive today to do this with me and I am very weak with cancer and coupled with the recent announcement from the doctor, hence I have decided to do this philanthropic work on behalf of my late husband and I.
 
Presently, I have willed out almost half of our assets to several charity homes and to some of the less privileged in different countries. Despite the agreement between my late husband and I to give aid to the deprived, we also agreed to render support to an individual we have not met before in life due to the fact when we were still young in life we received an anonymous help from an individual we did not know and which we have not been able to know till date, the impact we got from such gesture made us to do same.
 
I am sorry to inform you that you will never have the chance to know me because I have just concluded the assignment which my husband and I have agreed upon before his sudden death and you happened to be the beneficiary of our last WILL, irrespective of your previous financial status, hence I need you to do me a favor by accepting our offer.
 
I have presently instructed my bank manager to assist any person I will introduce to him as the beneficiary to the last will in the sum of Ten Million  United State Dollars (10,000,000.00) with my bank in Nigeria the FIRST INLAND BANK NIGERIA PLC. I decided to do this now unconditionally knowing that my days are numbered.
 
To conclude with this bequest, please provide me with your Data to fully which I will use to write a Letter of uthorization on your behalf and send it to the bank as my new Next of Kin.
 
 
Full Names:
Physical address:
Direct telephone number:
Occupation:
Your Age:
Sex/Marital status:
 
Note: Please I do not want you to thank me, same gesture was shown to us, all I need you to do is, When you get this fund, use %15 for yourself and the rest to assist the less privileged in your community and country,this is the only way to immortalize us when I am gone.
 
Reply me through my Private Email: donatehelpinghand02@outlook.com
 
Yours Faithfully
Mrs.Maureen  Howell
Cancer Centre: Christie Hospital NHS Trust
(Manchester, UK) North West of England

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