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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: "Rita Surti" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ritasur01@protonmail.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2022 16:32:36 -0800
Subject: From Rita Surti!!!!

Dear Beloved.
 
How are you doing, i will appreciate your immediate response to this mail. I am Mrs Rita but I and my husband were married for eleven years without a child but unfortunately he died after a brief illness in 2020 that lasted for only four days, now looking too weak to do things myself because I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer about 3years ago.  After going through some files of my late husband, I discovered a Deposit Certificate of Ten Million United States Dollars here in the USA. I have not been able to claim this fund from the Bank, as I have been in the hospital and my sickness continues getting worse.
 
I am suffering from cancer of the lungs which has affected my brain. From all indications, my condition is really deteriorating, and my doctors have courageously advised me that I may not live beyond the next Six months to eight months,because the cancer stage has reached a critical stage.
 
Am contacting you based on trust to present you to the Bank as the Next of Kin and Bonafide Inheritor to my Late Husband's fund, since I cannot claim this fund myself now and I may not live beyond next six-eight months according to my Doctors, but I have the faith in God that I will live more than the months my Doctors said by God grace.I have decided to donate the fund through you for the good work of the lord, and to help the motherless, less privileged and also  assist the widows all over the world. If you will be so kind as to be of help, I will be very glad and only God will reward you for that.
 
Regards,
Mother Mrs. Rita Surti

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