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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. Sarah Coker" (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2023 11:39:17 -0700
Subject: From Mrs. Sarah Coker.

Dear Lord Chosen One,

I reach you today in good faith and hoping that you will understand the
importance of my email. I am Mrs. Sarah Coker (Deaf) a widow to the late Mr
Richmond Coker. May God receive his soul in perfect peace. And I am 60 years
old.
My decision to contact you is because I have been recently diagnosed with
Cancer and the doctor said I have less than 6 weeks to live from now.
Since this sudden news was announced to me, I have been reflecting over my
life in the past. It is painful that after over 24 years of peaceful marriage with
my late husband, My late husband and I grew up in a motherless home in
Australia. We got married and we traveled to the United States for our
wedding. We had no child of our own that would inherit our numerous wealth.
In the past, I have made reasonable donations to the victims of the
Earthquake in Haiti and recently to the same victims in Japan, Thailand and
also Covid-19 victims in Africa. Now that my health is gradually deteriorating, I
cannot continue to do all these by myself any more. I strongly desire to reach
out to the poor and needy people, but I would prefer to continue this with the
assistance of a kind person. I want you to answer the following questions.

(1) Are you a God fearing person?

(2) If I donate (US$11,400,000.00) Eleven Million Four Hundred Thousand

United States Dollars to you, will you be able to utilize it wisely to achieve my
heart's desire of supporting poor people around you?
Please do not reply to me if you can not use this very fund for the glory of
Lord as stated herein.
Meanwhile, find attached herein my picture while still in the hospital and that of
I and my late husband.
May God bless you and always pray for me,

Mrs. Sarah Coker.

Anti-fraud resources: