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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: Josephine Chen <mrsestherh7@gmail.com>
Reply-To: njuguna_m@aol.com
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2023 06:38:21 +0100
Subject: Greetings dear friend ?


Greetings dear
friend ?
I am happy to know you, but God knows you better and
he knows why he has directed me to you at this point, so do not be afraid.
I prayed and got you email id from your country's ministries of commerce
and foreign trade departments. I am writing this mail to you with heavy
sorrow in my heart, this massage mighty come to you as surprise but i
chose to reach you through internet because it still remains the fastest
medium of communication through this medium internet has been greatly
abused. Please give me this little chance to explain myself to you, I would
have like to meet you face to face before departing from this mother earth
but due to the illness continue to deprive the chance but even if I die on
the process of this operation I will still praise my God Almighty.

My name is Mrs.Josephine Chen Njuguna i am a dying woman and i
decided to donate what I have to you for charity work/assistance to less
privileged people in the society. I am 49 years old and I was diagnosed of
cancer for about 4 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband,
who has left me everything he worked for and because my doctor told me that
i would not last for the period of one year due to cancer problem. Because
of my health, I have some funds I inherited from my late husband, the sum
of ($17.2Million Dollars) and I needed a very honest and God fearing who
can withdraw this money then use the funds for Charity works. I found your
email address from the internet after honest prayers to the LORD to bring
me a helper and i decided to contact you if you may be willing and
interested to handle these trust funds in good faith before anything
happens to me.
I want a good person who will use the money to work for Gods charity homes
and I have chosen you after going through your profile. I want this money
to be share to the next privileged since I do not have a child to inherit
the money and my late husband relatives all are non believers and I don't
want my husband’s hand earn money to be used in an ungodly ways. Hence the
reason for taking this bold decision because I do not have any child who
will inherit this money after I die. I am desperately in keen need of
assistance and I have summoned up courage to contact you for this task, you
must not fail me and the millions of the poor people in our today world.
This is no stolen money and there are no dangers involved, is 100% risk
free with full legal proof that is with my bank.

This money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the
true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long or
rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my
behalf since I cannot come over because of my illness or they get it
confiscated. Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital here in where I
have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. It is my last wish
to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and
distributed each year among the charity organization, the poor and the
motherless babies’ home. I want you as God fearing person, to also use this
money to fund orphanages and widows; I took this decision, before I rest in
peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I
shall give you the contact of them. I am absolutely assuring you that no
trouble is involved in this money because this is my late husband money. I
want you to take 20 percent of the total money for your personal use while
80% of the money will go to charity. I will appreciate your utmost
confidentiality and trust in this matter to accomplish my heart desire, as
I don't want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. Please I am
waiting for your kind and urgent reply to me
Regards
Mrs.Josephine Chen

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