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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: "george williams" <gwillms_cbn234@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 08:33:09 +0000
Subject: ATTN:(TREAT AS URGENT).....

Hello Dear,

With a very desperate need for assistance, I have
summed up courage to contact you.

I am from northern Swaziland, presently working in
Iraq with an international organisation that I will disclose to you
later, I found your contact particulars in an address
journal.

I am seeking your assistance to evacuate the sum of
$ 28, 500,000 (Twenty eight million, five hundred thousand dollars)
to your country or any other safe country of your
choice, in as much as you can give me a guarantee
that my own 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 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, I was able to get the package out to a safe
location entirely out of trouble spot.

I have now found a secured way of getting the
package out to Europe for you to pick up, and will discuss this with you
when I am sure of your sincerity in this.

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 through my personal email at:..gwillims_cbn234@yahoo.com
so we can discuss more.

Respectfully,
GEORGE WILLIAMS.


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