"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers

Online users, beware of advance-fee emails, where the scammers who are sending the fake emails claim they are widows who are dying from cancer or some other illness and want to give the recipients their inheritance. An advance-fee scam is a form of fraud and one of the most common types of confidence trick. The scam typically involves promising the victim a significant share of a large sum of money, in return for a small up-front payment, which the fraudster requires in order to obtain the large sum.

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Dying Widow Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers

A "Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scam

From: "Ruth Williams" <sandalsharp@uwclub.net>

Date: June 30, 2019 at 12:57:57 PM MST

Subject: Hello dear,

Hello dear,

How is everything with you today, my names are Mrs Ruth Williams 77 years old dying widow I was diagnosed for cancer for about 2 years now. I was married to a very lovely husband, he was a successful businessman before he died. Recently my doctor told me that I will not live longer than some weeks, the reason I am sending this message to you is because my health condition can not allow me to do anything again.

Can I trust you with US$ 35.4 Millionn for the good work of humanity as I decided to give it out for the poor in the society? I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly as you use this money well to give hope to the downtrodden, even if I die now my spirit will be at rest. This message is for you alone therefore, you should respond in swift because I don't want to disclose this information to another person as I work by the direction of my spirit.

I have notified my lawyer Barr Umeh Johnson to give you the necessary assistance needed for you to get the money as soon as possible, therefore, try and write him once you read this message. Lastly, you should keep this project very confidential from third-party until it is accomplished to avoid jeopardizing my effort.

Thanks and God bless.

Mrs Ruth Williams

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Comments (Total: 92)

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June 6, 2021 at 7:29 AM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
info

Another scam:

"Date: June 4, 2021 at 6:47:39 AM MST

From: be.secure@sc.com

Subject: Fwd: Donation Fund For Work Of God. GREETINGS IN JESUS NAME

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Linda Ann <lindaanna133@gmail.com>

Date: June 3, 2021 at 11:44:28 PM MST

To: undisclosed-recipients:;

Subject: Donation Fund For Work Of God. GREETINGS IN JESUS NAME

Reply-To: lindaanna133@gmail.com

Donation Fund For Work Of God.

GREETINGS IN JESUS NAME!

Claim of donation funds!

My name is Mrs. Deborah Williams, from United States Of

America, ( USA ). A widow suffering from Breast Cancer and Stroke at

the same time, for many years, which denied me child bearing for my

lovely husband and as a result of that, I may not last as my God

wishes me, according to my doctor’s diagnosed report.

I'm legally married to late "Pastor Ashley Williams" and we were

married for many years without any child to bless this marriage before

his death.

I'm 68 years old woman. I have some legal Funds, I inherited from

my late husband, the sum of (5.8 million US Dollars), which i needed a

very honest and God fearing person, who will claim the funds from the

bank and use it for the work of God’s Affairs, like; donation in the

house of God, propagating the good news of God and to endeavor God’s

worshiping place and help less-privileged.

To the glory of God, I found your profile and then decided to

contact you for the funds donation work of God and to please and put

my husband’s soul to rest, wherever almighty God has placed him, as

he has joined his ancestors, painfully and regrettably to my heart.

I don't need any telephone communication in this regards because

of my health according to my doctor’s report and to avoid my health

disturbances. please if you would be able to use the funds

judiciously for the work of God as i stated above, Please and Kindly

contact me back so i will lead you to "STANDARD CHARTERED BANK, NEW

YORK, USA" where this fund was deposited by my late husband "Pastor

Ashley Williams", for you to retrieve the funds in my name as the next

of kin to my family and sincerely and absolutely work with it,

judiciously and accordingly.

I will stop here until i hear from you, urgently and as expected.

Email;;; (deborahwilliams3321@gmail.com)

Mrs. Deborah Williams,

I pray that God will over flow your palms with his abundance blessings,

as you work for him with this very fund, judiciously and successfully."

Delete

May 6, 2021 at 3:25 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
info

"Von: Mary Allin <mrssaradnai@gmail.com>

Datum: 6. Mai 2021 um 17:50:11 GMT 8

An: undisclosed-recipients:;

Betreff: [SPAM] Donation for charity work of God

Antwort an: mary100ali@yahoo.co.jp



Donation for charity work of God

Greetings to you and sorry if this message came to you as a surprise.My name is Mrs Sarah Daniel a widow, I found your email address through my late husbands internet dater late Mr. Daniel

I am presently admitted at the hospital suffering from a blood cancer and Parkinson diseases. I have only about a few months to live and I want you to Transfer the sum of ( $6.200,000.00) united states dollars to your account so you can assist me Distribute my funds to charity homes in your country,

I have set aside 20% for you and your family keep while you donate 80% to the less privilege people,

I will give you more details or full story as soon as i receive your reply as the fund was deposited with a bank

Remain Blessed

Mrs Sarah Daniel"

Another scam.

Delete

January 10, 2021 at 6:41 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
info

"From: Doreen Davis <info@oct-net.ne.jp>

Date: January 10, 2021 at 1:49:53 PM MST

To: info@oct-net.ne.jp

Subject: Greetings...

Reply-To: d.doreen00001@gmail.com

HI, DEAR

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

I AM MRS. DOREEN DAVIS, A DEAF WIDOW TO LATE FRANK DAVIS FROM BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, USA. PRESENTLY IN SWEDEN RECEIVING TREATMENTS, I AM 68 YEARS OLD, I AM NOW A NEW CHRISTIAN CONVERT, SUFFERING FROM LONG TIME CANCER OF THE BREAST, FROM ALL INDICATION MY CONDITIONS IS REALLY DETERIORATING AND IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT I WON'T LIVE MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, ACCORDING TO MY DOCTORS, SINCE CANCER HAS GOTTEN TO A VERY BAD STAGE. MY LATE HUSBAND WAS KILLED DURING THE U.S. RAID AGAINST TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN, AND DURING THE PERIOD OF OUR MARRIAGE WE WERE UNABLE TO PRODUCE A CHILD.

AFTER HIS DEATH, I INHERITED ALL HIS BUSINESS AND WEALTH. THE DOCTORS HAS ADVISED ME THAT I MAY NOT LIVE FOR MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, SO I NOW DECIDED TO DIVIDE THE PART OF THIS WEALTH, TO DONATE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH IN AFRICA, AMERICA,ASIA, AND EUROPE. I PRAYED OVER IT, I AM WILLING TO GIVE THE $6.8MILLION US DOLLARS TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED. RIGHT NOW THE FUND IS DEPOSITED WITH A BANK IN NEW YORK, USA...I AM ALSO AWARE THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF SCAM ON THE INTERNET, BUT MY DEAR FRIEND, I SWEAR TO YOU WITH THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS THAT THIS IS NEVER A SCAM. NEVER!

YOUR HELP WILL SAVE MANY LIFE IN THE WORLD, LET GOD TOUCH YOUR HEART TO HEAR MY CRY FOR ASSISTANCE!...I ONLY WANT YOU TO RECEIVE THESE FUND AND ACT AS THE ADMINISTRATOR TO THESE CHARITIES. ON YOUR RESPONSE I WILL GIVE YOU DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN CLAIM THIS MONEY WITHOUT STRESSING YOURSELF, BECAUSE YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE ON THIS PROJECT WILL GIVE MEANING TO THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS AROUND THE WORLD.

LASTLY, I ALSO WANT YOU TO ASSURE ME THAT WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE FUND IT WILL BE USED FOR THE SAID PURPOSE PLEASE?. MAY THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS, THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF OUR GOD BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOREVER & EVER, AMEN!

I AWAIT YOUR KIND & URGENT ATTENTION.

BLESS YOU,

MRS. DOREEN DAVIS"

Another scam

Delete

January 9, 2021 at 1:49 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
an anonymous user from: Ramersdorf, Bonn, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

I got another E-Mail from Grace Fishery. Now she used grace_fishery7@aol.com . She also wrote she had to change her E-Mail due to Serverproblems

Delete

January 8, 2021 at 6:00 AM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
an anonymous user from: Ramersdorf, Bonn, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

I got the same message as the one user from grace_fishery@aol.com

Delete

August 12, 2020 at 1:33 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
an anonymous user from: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

I get them all the time and I'm trying to scam them into sending me money first.

Delete

June 29, 2020 at 8:02 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
info

"From: "Mrs. Agnes Adams" <m.ahmed0@lodex-solutions.com>

Date: June 29, 2020 at 3:51:02 PM MST

Subject: Dear beloved

Reply-To: hr_stepan@tvnet.if.ua

Dear beloved,

I know it will be a great surprise reading from me today but consider this a divine intervention. My name is Mrs. Agnes Adams, a widow from the United Kingdom. I am presently writing to you from my sickbed because I have been fighting cancer and the doctor says I have a few weeks left.

I want to entrust my money $8.5 million dollars to your care for charity purposes and crave your indulgence as a concerned individual to help use my money for charity and also assist the poor and less privileged in the society, so reply me for more information as I'm not always online due to my health. My late husband's brother wants me dead so that he will claim all my late husband and I worked for.

I will tell you more about myself and what you need to do with the money once you receive it. Give me your word that you will not betray my trust so that I furnish you with more details about the Charity Funds. Please reply now as my health is pretty bad, It’s urgent and very important you keep this email confidential.

Have a blessed day and do not forget to pray for me.

Bless you.

Mrs. Agnes Adams."

Here is another scam.

Delete

June 25, 2020 at 2:47 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
info

Scam:

"From: Erena George <erenageorge37@yahoo.com>

Date: Thu, Jun 25, 2020, 4:36 AM

Subject: Greetings to you,

To:

Greetings to you,

I'm a 68 years old woman suffering from prolonged cancer of the breast, from all medical indications my condition has really deteriorated and it's obvious that i may not live for more than six months owing to the rapid growth and pain that accrues to it. My husband died a few years back and our long years of marriage were not blessed with any child, after his death I inherited all his wealth.

I come to you after praying over it, I am willing to donate the sum of €2, 500, 000 to help the poor, needy,and less privileged among your congregations/society,Churches, Mosques, charity homes, ETC. Please note that this fund is deposited in a bank where my husband worked. I will appreciate it if you will give attention to my request for propagating the kingdom massage, I will provide you with more details on how to proceed.

Thanks,

Mrs. Erena George."

Delete

June 1, 2020 at 9:51 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
an anonymous user from: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

"My name is Mrs. Mina A. Brunel I am a Norway Citizen who is living in Burkina Faso, I am married to Mr. Brunel Patrice, a politician who owns a small gold company in Burkina Faso; He died of Leprosy and Radesyge, in the year February 2010, During his lifetime he deposited the sum of € 8.5 Million Euro) Eight million, Five hundred thousand Euros in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso in West Africa. The money was from the sale of his company and death benefits payment and entitlements of my deceased husband by his company.

I am sending you this message with heavy tears in my eyes and great sorrow in my heart, and also praying that it will reach you in good health because I am not in good health, I sleep every night without knowing if I may be alive to see the next day. I am suffering from long time cancer and presently I am partially suffering from Leprosy, which has become difficult for me to move around. I was married to my late husband for more than 6 years without having a child and my doctor confided that I have less chance to live, having to know when the cup of death will come, I decided to contact you to claim the fund since I don't have any relation I grew up from an orphanage home.

I have decided to donate this money for the support of helping Motherless babies/Less privileged/Widows and churches also to build the house of God because I am dying and diagnosed with cancer for about 3 years ago. I have decided to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of Almighty God; I will be going in for an operation surgery soon.

Now I want you to stand as my next of kin to claim the funds for charity purposes. Because of this money remains unclaimed after my death, the bank executives or the government will take the money as unclaimed fund and maybe use it for selfishness and worthless ventures, I need a very honest person who can claim this money and use it for Charity works, for orphanages, widows and also build schools and churches for less privilege that will be named after my late husband and my name.

I need your urgent answer to know if you will be able to execute this project, and I will give you more information on how the fund will be transferred to your bank account or online banking.

Thanks

Mrs. Mina A. Brunel"

I received this mail

Delete

June 1, 2020 at 10:04 PM by
"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers
info

It is another scam.

Delete

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

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"Dying Widow" Advance Fee Scams Being Sent by Online Scammers