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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. Victoria Gallagher" <shuichi3019@freenet.de>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2023 21:26:13 GMT
Subject: DEAREST ONE,

DEAREST ONE,

GREETINGS. I KNOW IT WILL BE A GREAT SURPRISE READING FROM ME TODAY BUT CONSIDER THIS A DIVINE INTERVENTION AS MY PASTOR EXPLAINED TO MY UNDERSTANDING. WELL LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF, MY NAME IS MRS. VICTORIA GALLAGHER, A 78 YEARS OLD CITIZEN OF UNITED STATES BUT LIVED IN EUROPE FOR OVER 40 YEARS. I WANT TO ENTRUST A LUMP SUM OF MONEY TO YOUR CARE HENCE WILL BE NICE TO LET YOU KNOW REASONS FOR MY ACTION. ON NOVEMBER 5TH 2007, I LOST MY HUSBAND AND OUR ONLY SON (BENJAMIN) IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT IN MANCHESTER UK WHICH CHANGED MY LIFE ENTIRELY BUT GLAD MY CHRISTIAN FAITH PULLED ME THROUGH.

AS A GOOD BUSINESS WOMAN, I MANAGED MY LATE HUSBAND'S ESTATE UNTIL MY PRESENT MEDICAL CONDITION, LAST YEAR I EXPERIENCED PAINS, SLEEPLESS NIGHTS SO MY DOCTOR SENT ME ON A MEDICAL CHECKUP THROUGH WHICH I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. SINCE I WAS NOT ABLE TO MANAGE THE ESTATE ANYMORE AND MY LATE HUSBAND'S BROTHER WANTS ME DEAD TO INHERIT ALL WE HAVE AGAINST MY WILL. FOR MY CHRISTIAN FAITH I RATHER DONATE MY MONEY TO THE LESS PRIVILEGE, ORPHANAGE HOMES AND THE CHURCH THAN ALLOW SELFISH PEOPLE TAKE ALL WHEN I DIE. I SOLD THE ESTATE AND REALIZED THE TOTAL OF $4.8 MILLION DOLLARS WHICH I WANT TO GIVE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED IN OUR SOCIETY. THE DOCTORS SAYS THAT I WILL DIE SOON AS MY HEALTH IS NOW CRITICAL AND I CANNOT TRAVEL NOW OR UTILIZE THE MONEY SO WILL LIKE YOU TO HELP ME USE THIS MONEY TO CHANGE THE LIVES OF THE LESS PRIVILEGED SO FOR YOUR TIME KEEP 30% OF THE TOTAL MONEY FOR YOURSELF AS HE WHO WORKS IN THE VINEYARD FEEDS IN THE VINEYARD.

SINCE I WANT THIS DONATION ANONYMOUS, I INSTRUCTED THE BANK TO CREDIT THE TOTAL FUNDS IN AN ATM CARD WHICH WILL ALLOW YOU CASH WITHDRAWAL FROM ANY ATM MACHINE AND DUE TO THE CONFIDENTIALITY WITH NEED FOR A TRUSTED PERSON THAT WILL KEEP THE ATM CARD UNTIL YOU MAKE CONTACT FOR CLAIM, I CONTACTED THE BANK MANAGER BY NAME MR. WILLIAM COLE WHO IS CURRENTLY SERVING IN UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA TO KEEP THE $4.8 MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS ATM CARD UNTIL YOU CAN CLAIM IT. THE SECURITY CODE THAT THE BANK MANAGER MR. WILLIAM COLE WILL USE TO IDENTIFY YOU IS (QUESTION: WHERE? ANSWER: GOLGOTHA). KINDLY CONTACT UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA MANAGER MR. WILLIAM COLE THROUGH THIS EMAIL (UNITEDBKY@GMAIL.COM) WITH YOUR FULL NAMES, ADDRESS AND MOBILE NUMBER FOR YOUR CARD RELEASED TO YOUR IMMEDIATELY.

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO YOU BECAUSE MY INNER MOST SPIRIT REVELED TO ME THAT YOU CAN HELP USE MY MONEY FOR THE WORK OF HUMANITY AND TO ASSIST THE LESS PRIVILEGED, MOTHERLESS BABIES/ORPHANAGES, WIDOWS AND CHILDREN BATTLING CANCER. I KNOW THAT MY STORY WILL SADDEN YOUR HEART BUT MY NEW FOUND LIFE HAS MADE ME UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN IF WE DIE IN THIS PHYSICAL FLESH, WHAT MATTERS IS LIFE AFTER DEATH.

NOTE THAT I WILL NO LONGER BE READING MY EMAILS OR SURFING THE INTERNET AS I WILL BE GOING INTO THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ICU LATER TODAY, ALL FURTHER CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO MR. WILLIAM COLE THROUGH THIS EMAIL (UNITEDBKY@GMAIL.COM) FOR YOUR ATM CARD AS I HAVE GIVEN HIM ALL INFORMATION NEEDED.

REMAIN BLESSED FOREVER AS YOU REACH THE POOR AND HELPLESS.

YOURS FAITHFULLY, 
MRS. VICTORIA GALLAGHER.



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