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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: "SGT IRVIN BROWN" <irv_br22@mobimail.mn>
Reply-To: irvinbrown441@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:27:15 +0100
Subject: READ CAREFULLY AND REPLY URGENTLY!


READ CAREFULLY AND REPLY URGENTLY!

MY NAME IS (STAFF SGT.) IRVIN BROWN, I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER, SERVING IN
THE MILITARY WITH THE ARMY'S 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. I HAVE A VERY DESPERATE
NEED FOR ASSISTANCE AND HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU.

I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL AND I AM SEEKING YOUR
KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS
(US$8,000,000) TO YOU IN UNITED STATES, AS FAR AS I CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY
SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE.

SOURCE OF MONEY:
SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WERE DISCOVERED IN BARRELS AT A FARMHOUSE
NEAR ONE OF SADDAM'S OLD PALACES IN TIKRIT-IRAQ DURING A RESCUE OPERATION,
AND IT WAS AGREED BY STAFF SGT KENNETH BUFF AND I THAT SOME PART OF THIS
MONEY BE SHARED BETWEEN BOTH OF US BEFORE INFORMING ANYBODY ABOUT IT SINCE
BOTH OF US SAW THE MONEY FIRST. THIS WAS QUITE AN ILLEGAL THING TO DO, BUT I
TELL YOU WHAT! NO COMPENSATION CAN MAKE UP FOR THE RISK WE HAVE TAKEN WITH
OUR LIVES IN THIS HELL HOLE, OF WHICH MY BROTHER IN-LAW WAS KILLED BY A ROAD
SIDE BOMB LAST TIME.

THE ABOVE FIGURE WAS GIVEN TO ME AS MY SHARE, AND TO CONCEAL THIS KIND OF
MONEY BECAME A PROBLEM FOR ME BUT WITH THE HELP OF A BRITISH CONTACT WORKING
HERE AND WITH HIS OFFICE ENJOYING SOME IMMUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE
PACKAGE OUT TO A SAFE LOCATION ENTIRELY OUT OF TROUBLE SPOT. HE DOES NOT
KNOW THE REAL CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE, AND BELIEVES THAT IT BELONGS TO A
BRITISH/AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO DIED IN A RAID HERE IN IRAQ, AND BEFORE
GIVING UP, TRUSTED ME TO HAND OVER THE PACKAGE TO HIS FAMILY IN UNITED
STATES. I HAVE NOW FOUND A VERY SECURED WAY OF GETTING THE PACKAGE OUT OF
IRAQ TO YOU AT HOME FOR YOU TO PICK UP, AND I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU
WHEN I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME AND THAT MY MONEY WILL BE
WELL SECURED IN YOUR HAND.

I WANT YOU TO TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS MONEY FOR THE
ASSISTANCE YOU WILL GIVE TO ME. ONE PASSIONATE APPEAL I WILL MAKE TO YOU IS
NOT TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH ANYBODY, SHOULD YOU HAVE REASONS TO REJECT
THIS OFFER, PLEASE AND PLEASE DESTROY THIS MESSAGE AS ANY LEAKAGE OF THIS
INFORMATION WILL BE TOO BAD FOR THE U.S. SOLDIER'S HERE IN IRAQ. I DO NOT
KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE, MONTH OF MAY WAS THE DEADLIEST MONTH FOR
US OUT HERE. TOTALY, WE LOST 127 MEN AND I HAVE BEEN SHOT, WOUNDED AND
SURVIVED TWO 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 AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH MY PRIVATE E-MAILADDRESS WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF
COMMUNICATION (E-MAIL irvinbrown441@gmail.com.)
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.


SGT. IRVIN BROWN

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