419 scam: "John"<officialq009@verizon.net> VERY URGENT

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "diplomatic courier" ("diplomats" who perform deliveries of cash or other valuables to you only exist in 419 scams)
- "courier service" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- osgood_111@yahoo.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "John" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <osgood_111@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:02:49 -0800
Subject: VERY URGENT

I am Capt. John Osgood, a US Marine, serving in the 3rd
Battalion,25th Marine Regiment which Patrols the Anbar
province, Afghanistan.I am desperately in need of assistance and
I have summoned up courage to contact you.

I am presently in Afghanistan and I found your contact
Particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your
Assistance to evacuate the sum of $18.5 million USD which I got from crude oil deal here in Afghanistan. . I deposited this money with a Red Cross Agent informing him that we are making contact for the real owner of the money and it is under my power to approve whoever comes forth for the money.

I have authentic means of transferring the money through diplomatic courier service .I just need your acceptance and all is done.

Please if you are interested in the transaction, I will give you the complete details you need to carry out this transaction successfully. I decided to find someone that is real and not imaginary I believe I can trust you. Where we are now we can only communicate through our military communication facilities that are secured so nobody can monitor our emails, then I can explain in details to you. I will only reach you through email, because our calls might be monitored, I just have to be sure whom I am dealing with.

If you are interested, please send me your personal mobile number so I can call you for further enquiries when I am out of our military network. I am writing from a fresh email account so if you are not interested do not reply to this email and please delete this message, if no response after 3days I will then search for someone else.

I wait for your contact details so we can go into action. In less than 5days, the money should have been in your position and I will come over for my money. I will give to you 30% of the sum and 70% is for me because I know that nothing goes for nothing I hope I am been fair to you.

Contact me via my private box: osgood_111@yahoo.com
So that I can furnish you with more details.

I wait for your full details information:

Your Full Name………
Your Address…………
Your direct Tele Phone…..
A copy of your ID…….…

Regards,
Captain Osgood

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam