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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "ALI IBRAHIM" <ali_4ibrahim@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: aibrahim19@excite.com
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 11:06:14 -0800
Subject: ASSALAMU ALAIKUM FROM ALI IBRAHIM IS VERY URGENT

Dear Sir,
With a very desperate need for assistance, I have summed up courage to
contact you. I am from (will disclose this later), presently working in Iraq
with an international organisation that I will also disclose later, I found
your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your assistance
to evacuate the sum of (US$8.523 Million Dollars) Eight Million five
Hundred Thousand And Twenty Three Dollars to your country or any other safe
country of your choice, as far as I can be assured that my share will be
safe
in your care untill I complete my service here,this is no stolen money,
and there are no dangers involved.
SOURCE OF MONEY:
Some money in various currencies was discovered concealed in barrels
with piles of weapons and ammunitions at a location near one of Saddam,s old
palaces during a rescue operation, and it was agreed by all party
present that the money be shared amongst us, this was quite an illegal thing
to
do, but I tell you what? no compensation can make up for the risks we
have taken with our lives in this hell hole.
The above figure was given to me as my share, and to conceal this kind
of money became a problem for me, so with the help of a German contact
working here, and his office enjoys some immunity, I was able to get the
package out to a safe cation entirely out of trouble spot. He does not know
the
real contents of the package, and believes that it belongs to an
Asian/American
who died in an air raid, and before giving up, trusted me to hand over
the package to his business associate. I have now found a secured way of
getting the package out to a safer country for you to pick up, and will
discuss
this with you when I am sure that you are willing to assist me.
One passionate appeal I will make to you is not to discuss this matter
with a third party, should you have reasons to reject this offer, please
destroy this mail as any leakage of this information will be too bad for us.
I do not know for how long we will remain here, and I have survived 2
suicide bomb attacks by the special grace of God, this and other reasons I
will
mention later has prompted me to reach out for help, I honestly want
this matter to be resolved immediately. Please contact me at
(aibrahim19@excite.com) as soon as possible.
Regards,
Ali Ibrahim


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