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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: "Elizabeth Ruekberg" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <elizaberg@myself.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:34:37 +0200
Subject: Sincere Regards

Dear friend,

I am sorry for the approach, i got your email from online web directory and decided to contact you personally for my findings beleiving that we can build trust for ourselves.

As you very well know, Iraq is gradually undergoing a rebuilding process in some parts and there is much need for reconstruction. I am Elizabeth Ruekberg from the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, I am from the hospitality state of Mississippi. I evaluate the level of destruction and offer professional advice inline with the way they intend rebuilding. With no doubt, work has been risky and challenging as we sometimes collide head on with armed insurgents and loose some soldiers during confrontation.

On the early hours of 4th September 2008 I lost a friend Cpl. Jessica A. Ellis, 24, of Bend, Ore., died 11 May 2008 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when her vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.She was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. . It was a very sad day but at about 1100hrs during a normal inspection routine along Haifa Street, built and occupied by the late Saddam Hussein while he was still alive and one of the hide outs of the Al Qaeda and Ayman al-Zawahiri forces. I, along side with 3 soldiers proceeded to a marked site and as I commenced evaluation under close guard by the 3 soldiers, I discovered an unusual bulge in a cellar, which I presumed to be storage room and as I proceeded to have a closer look at it, I kicked a metal covering and found several metal boxes (6 in number) Piled on top each other and locked with a padlock. On forcing the bo!
xes open, we discovered several ar

Why I am explaining all our findings to you is to seek for your assistance and immense contribution to the actualization of our dream of getting these funds out from here. We are in desperate need of a reliable and trustworthy person who will receive, secure and protect these boxes containing the money for us until our assignment ends here. Since Iraq is getting unsafe and more dangerous everyday, we cannot afford to leave these boxes here in Iraq for any reason and knowing fully well that these were funds used in sponsoring terrorist attacks on our innocent humans. We have no idea what could happen next. This is a true story of what we came across here in Iraq. I intend to include some pictures I took here and my ID's issued by the US army and government for you to know better whom you are dealing with but I will include that in my next email to you. I assure and promise to give you 30% of this fund before sharing with the other 3 soldiers when we leave this place. Please a!
ssure me of your keeping this top

My Sincere Regards,
Elizabeth Ruekberg
elizaberg@myself.com

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