BEWARE 419 Scam!
as-salamu ‘alaykum,
Nigerian style advanced fee frauds or 419 scams are common but people still get duped into them. I received the email below that seeks to dupe unsuspecting Muslims into helping this poor terminally-ill, childless, cancer ridden widow and in the process to help her donate a substantial amount of money to some Muslim organisation or an individual (i.e. the unsuspecting you). Don’t be fooled, this email has been going around for years, it’s obviously worked for them since it is still doing the rounds. The language of the email hits all the right buttons to stimulate the emotions of Muslims:
- She has cancer
- She suffered a stroke
- She has 6 months to live
- She is a widow
- She is childless
- She wants to donate to a Muslim organisation or a Muslim individual who will do good work with the “money” by “funding mosques, orphanages, widows, and also propagating the word of ALLAH and to ensure that the society upholds the views and belief of the Holy Quran.”
- She repeats Allah in caps “ALLAH” over and over
- She emphasises what the Qur’an says
- She tells us that she fears the money will be used in “an unholy manner” if she doesn’t take this “bold step” as her “husband relatives are into some radical organisations” in previous emails they were Christians!
Bismill?hi-r-Rahm?ni-r-Rah?m,
Al-Hamdulill?hi Was-Sal?tu Was-Sal?mu ‘Al? Ras?lill?h,Wa Ba’d,
As-Sal?mu ‘Alaikum Wa Rahmatull?hi Wa Barak?tuh,
Wasalaam to you,and how are you doing?. My intention of contacting you is
to solicit your assistance for a project, which will be mutually
beneficial. Though I know my decision to contact you is to a large extent
unconventional, the prevailing circumstances necessitated my action. I am
Haleema Hamza from Libya. I am married to Late Mallam Mustafa Hamza of
blessed memory was an oil explorer in Libya and Kuwait for twelve years
before he died in the year 2000. We were married for twelve years without
a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only four
days.Before his death we were both devoted Muslims. Since his death I too
have been battling with both Cancer and fibroid problems. When my late
Husband was alive he made a huge deposit in millions of US dollars with a
Deposit Company in oversea. (I will tell you the amount as we proceed).Recently, my doctor told me that I have only six months to live due to
cancer problem. Though what disturbs me most is my stroke sickness. Having
known my condition I decided to donate this fund to either a Muslim
organization or devoted Muslim individual that will utilize this money the
way I am going to instruct herein. I want this Muslim organization or
individual to use this money in all sincerity to fund mosques,orphanages,
widows, and also propagating the word of ALLAH and to ensure that the
society upholds the views and belief of the Holy Quran.The Holy Quran
emphasizes so much on ALLAH’S benevolence and this has encourage me to
take the bold step. I took this decision because I don’t have any child
that will inherit this money and my husband relatives are into some
radical Organizations and I don’t want a situation where this money will
be used in an Unholy manner. Hence the reasons for this bold decision. I
know that after death I will be with ALLAH the most beneficent and the
most merciful. I don’t need any telephone communication in this regard
because of my health, because of the presence of my husband’s relatives
around me always. I don’t want them to know about this development.With ALLAH all things are possible (second Sura, ( verse 257) which says:
“There must be no coercion in matters of faith”).As soon as I receive your
reply on Email:(), I shall give you the contact
information of the Deposit Company in oversea where the money was
deposited. I will also issue a letter of authority to the Deposit Company
authorizing them that the said fund Have being willed to you and a copy of
such authorization will be forwarded to you. I want you and the Muslim
community where you reside to always pray for me. My happiness is that I
lived a true devoted Muslims worthy of emulation. Whoever that wants to
serve ALLAH must serve him in truth and in fairness. I will not stipulate
any precise amount to reward you, as it will have to be on pre-negotiated
terms, based on your level of involvement. Please always be prayerful all
through your life. Any delay in your reply will give room in sourcing for
a Muslim organization or a devoted Muslim for this same purpose. Until I
hear from you by email, my dreams will rest squarely on your Shoulders.“And I (Allah) did not create jinns and humans except that they worship
Me(alone)” Qu’ran 51:56May the Almighty ALLAH continue to guide and protect you.
Allah Hafiz.
Haleema Hamza.
You have been warned, make sure you inform others of these types of scams as people have and do fall for them!wa’as-salam
Mas’ud
www.masud.co.uk
4 thoughts on “BEWARE 419 Scam!”
Salaam,
Nigerians are known to be 419ners as said by the “Human” transparency International. Likewise pakistanis are well known for that on the British list of corrupt countries and violent people. You can confirm that.
For the fact that few Nigerians are fraudsters does not make all fraudulent emails be of a Nigerian.
Was salaam
The post was not to single out the Nigerian people, I think you have misunderstood, I meantioned a “419 Nigerian STYLE advanced fee fraud” since the whole advance fee fraud ORIGINATED in Nigeria and still continues to be a major problem for the Nigerian authorities, it is appropriate to describe it as such. The 419 Fraud is named after the section of the Nigerian penal code which addresses such fraud schemes. Whilst other nationalities may be involved in fraud, this type of fraud targets individuals and has a history with Nigeria.
Salam,
I made the mistake of replying to say “leave me alone”. Big error. They now know my email account is “live” and from one scam a week I get on average 25 emails a day, variations on the theme of funds needing unlocking etc. My hotmail filter only “junk mails” half of these,the rest I have to delete manually.
Asalamalaikum Brother Tariq,
Good article. Keep it up!
As a mix-raced Muslim revert of an African father from Ghana and a white mother from England, I truly appreciate the needs to report and comment about the Black Muslims and contributions of Islam in lives of Africans today and in the past.
This is very important. According to a recent lecture and sermon by the West African scholar of Islam Shrikh Abu Abdullah Adelabu – available at http://www.esinislam.com (and http://www.islamafrica.com and http://www.islamicafrica.com), it is dutiful of every Black Muslim to learn about Islam including the way Islam spread in Africa and relate it to the people in efforts to address bad influences of colonization, slavery, and westernization in sub-Sahara and beyond
A recent article by another American Muslim posted on http://www.esinislam.com (www.islamafrica.com and http://www.islamicafrica.com) emphasizes on this need in the US too as an effort to better inform people about the Muslims – expecially the skeptical African Americans who had been so ill-informed about Islam and what Islam had achieved for their civilization
It’s not an understatement to suggest the Black Christians are more hotile to the Muslims than any other Kufaar. In fact, the Balck Christian either African Americans or Africans are more aggressive in their approaches towards the Muslims in their communities, nations, or continents
As a son of an African pastor and Anglican Envagelical whom Allah has redeemed from ignorance, fanaticism, prejudice, and all other evils of the Black Christians, I have every authority in this observation. Before I reverted to Islam through AWQAF Africa (see http://www.esinislam.com , http://www.islamafrica.com, and http://www.islamicafrica.com) where I took my Shahadah from Sheikh Abu-Abdullah Adelabu I too was very anti-Islamic and even usually contempted African Muslims students of Islamic knowledge as barbaric and lazy.
Al-hamdu lillah, today I am better enlightened and constantly studying to know more about my Glorious Faith of Islam. I am a registered student at AWQAF African Muslim Open College in my birth and residency city of London. I therefore, invite you to join me studying at this beneficial Muslim institution. I also suggest you become a contributor of articles to http://www.esinislam.com and its affiliates. It’s easy to post your articles on these African Muslim Website. Just e-mail any article you have to publish to articles@esinislam.com
You have a lot to offer, I believe. Let people benefit from your articles contributions – And jazaakaAllah khaira
I look forward to hearing from you Brother Tariq
Yours in Islam
Kevin Kofi (Now proudly Muslim Khalid Kofi)
kevinkofi@yahoo.com