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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: "Major Andrew Gibson" <majorandrewgibson2@yahoo.in> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:28:36 -0700
Subject: BELOVED PLEASE HELP ME INVEST THESE FUNDS

Dear Friend,
My name is Major Andrew Gibson.I am an America soldier with swiss background serving in the military with the army 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. I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum ($1.8 million dollars) One million and eight hundred thousand united state dollars to you, as far as i can be assured that my share will be in your care until i complete my service here,This is no stolen money, and there are no danger involved. I am presently in a hospital recovering from injuries sustained in a suicide bomb attack.
Source of money:
Some money in various currencies was discovered in barrels at a farm house 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 among 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 risks we have taken with our lives in this hell hole.Of which my brother inlaw was killed by a road side bomb last week.
please view this website for confirmation;
http://www.voanews.com/burmese/archive/2003-04/a-2003-04-20-1-1.cfm
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 move the money to a private diplomatic security company in London as a diplomatic luggage for safekeeping.They are now waiting for us to provide the name of a beneficiary whom the luggages would be delivered to,the reason i want you to claim this funds on my behalf is that as a soldier,i cannot present a concrete evidence on how i made such a big amount of money down here in Iraq.Besides the us government is trying their best to keep there eyes on soldiers here in order to effect a high level of discipline among us.The moment i'm sure that you're willing to assist me,i will give you the information of the security company and the security code of the luggage.I want u to tell me how much u would take from this money for the assistance you're willing to
render.
One passionate appeal i will make to you is not to discuss this project with anybody,should you have any reasons to reject this offer,please and please destroy this message as any leakage of this information will be too bad for us as soldiers 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 has prompted me to reach out for help,i honestly want this project to be resolved immediately,please contact me as soon as possible,my only way of communication is by e-mail
majorandrewgibson2@yahoo.in
Yours in Service,
Major Andrew Gibson Camp MXP-512 Third Infantry Division Unit(T.I.D.U),
Abul Uruj,bagdad,Iraq


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