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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: "FROM MS MELISA JONES" <home@businessmails.org>
Reply-To: melisa_jones212@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:40:51 +0000
Subject: RE: REQUEST FOR TRANSFER OF FUND TO YOU




HOW ARE YOU AND FAMILY?. HOPE ALL IS WELL.

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

I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL, SEARCHING FOR SOME VIABLE INVESTMENT PLACES AND OPPORTUNITIES AROUND. I AM SEEKING FOR YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF ( $5.5 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS ) FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS TO YOU TO ANY SAFE PLACE FOR A JOINT INVESTMENT FOR BOTH OR INTEREST OF ME AND YOU, AS FAR AS I CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE, THIS IS NO STOLEN MONEY, AND THERE ARE NO DANGER INVOLVED.

SOURCE OF MONEY:

SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WAS 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, MYSELF AND FEW COLLEAGUES THAT SOME PART OF THIS MONEY BE REMOVED AND SHARED AMONG US BEFORE INFORMING ANYBODY ABOUT IT SINCE WE SAW THE MONEY FIRST. THIS WAS QUITE AN ILLEGAL THING TO DO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, THAT 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 WEEK.

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 BRITISH CONTACT WORKING HERE, AND HIS OFFICE ENJOY 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 BRITHISH-AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO DIED IN AN RAID HERE IN IRAQ, AND BEFORE GIVING UP,HE ENTRUSTED 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 OUR AGREED COUNTRY IT WILL BE SAFE FIRST, WHICH THEREAFTER MY SERVICE I MAY WANT TO LIVE THERE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. IF WE UNDERSTAND OURSELVES AND AGREED ON WORKING TERMS. WE CAN WORK IT OUT AND YOU WILL PROCEED THERE TO PICK IT UP, AND I WILL DISCUSS THIS FURTHER WITH YOU WHEN I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME.

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 PLEASE AND PLEASE DESTROY THIS MESSAGE AS ANY LEAKAGE OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TOO BAD FOR US SOLDIER'S HERE IN IRAQ.

I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE, 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 WHAT HAS PROMPTED ME TO REACH OUT FOR HELP, I HONESTLY WANT THIS MATTER TO BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF INTERESTED AND WILLING TO COMPLY AS REQUESTED.

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. PLEASE CLICK ON THE ATTACHEMENT TO SEE THE PICTURE OF THE MONEY AND WE.

PLEASE GET BACK TO ME.

MS. MELISA JONES. (SGT).

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