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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: "MR Douglas Green" <mr.douglas.green2@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 03:56:39 -0700
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT


NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE


We have not met before,but I believe that you would be compelled to help me
after going through the contents of this letter. My name is Mr Douglas
Green, a divorcee, a white Zimbabwe by birth. I am a farmer in Zimbabwe .
Basically, I was involved in Agricultural production, until August (2003),
when the government of Robert Mugabe decided to seize all farm-land(s) owned
by whites citizens in Zimbabwe (without compensation). He (Robert Mugabe)
did not stop at that he also went on to expel all White farmers in
Zimbabwe. He implored the services of his war veterans to undertake
his seizure. The
war veterans have been accused (correctly) of being behind the violent
occupation of white-owned commercial farms in which an estimated 70,000 farm
workers have been displaced. At least, over hundreds white farmers and black
settlers have been killed since the farm invasions began in February
2000.Link{*www.guardian.co.uk/weblog/special/0,10627,536901,00.html}*<http://www.guardian.co.uk/weblog/special/0,10627,536901,00.html}>Although
we know that we are taking a great risk by staying here in
Zimbabwe . At the Moment, our phone lines are bugged, and all our movements
are being monitored by Zimbabwean (Robert Mugabes)secret Police. Therefore
email is the safest means of communication for now. We (White farmers in
zimbabwe ) have taken our case to the United Nations and even with the
threats of transactions and the subsequent sanctions from the West against
the Zimbabwean authorities, Robert Mugabe (The president of Zimbabwe ) still
remains adamant. He is insisting that our farm land (some of which we bought
with our money and most of which We inherited from our fathers) belongs to
the (his) government of Zimbabwe .At present, my money totaling
US$17,750,000. (Seventeen million, seven hundred and fifty thousand United
States dollars) is in oversea in security company Since I could not keep the
money in Zimbabwe , I used the services of a Diplomatic Courier Company to
move this money (registered as official documents and family valuables) out
of Zimbabwe to Abroad. And up till now due to lack of communication and been
mornitored by the federal police,I have been unable to know the state of
this fund.but the main reason i am contacting you is to help secure this
fund in your postion then help me to relocate to your country since mugabe
had made here hell for us i guess it is out of racism and up till now the
united nation has not taken any action.
Can you help me? Are you trustworthy? Can you safe guard this money until my
arrival to your country? Are you trustworthy and capable of handling this
money? If you can, please contact me All you need
to do is to claim this money from the security Company. For your assistance,
you will be entitled to 20% of the total sum. You are also obliged to
help/advise on the proper and most convenient way of investing this money in
your country, hopefully, You will respond positively.

Yours sincerely,
Mr Douglas Green.

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