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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: "FROM USMC IRAQ" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <Capt.Christhomas@uwcmail.org>
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:31:09 +0100
Subject: SALAAM FROM USMC IRAQ


Dear Friend,

Greetings to you and your family; my name is Captain. Christopher Thomas. I am an American Soldier serving in the US Military in the 66th Armored Regiment's Company A, 1st Battalion in Iraq. I am desperately in need of assistance and I have summoned up courage to contact you in spite the fact that I have not met you before.

I am presently in Iraq and I found your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your kind assistance to help me move out the sum of $12m {Twelve Million American Dollars only} from its present location to your Country or to any other Country of your choice, provided I will be assured that my money will be safe in your care until I complete my service here. This is no stolen money; nor there any risk or harm on this transaction.

This source of this money is part of the large sum of money in various currencies that were discovered few years ago in barrels at a farm house near one of Saddam's old palaces in Tikrit Iraq during an operation Conquest in Fallujah north of Baghdad, and it was agreed within my colleagues then that some part of these discovered money be shared among both of us before informing anybody about it since both of us saw the money first. Although this may sound as an illegal thing to do by us, but to be frank with you no compensation can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell place, as many of my colleagues have died from the attacks we are receiving on daily basis from the suicide bombers over here in Iraq.

The above figure is my own share and to conceal this kind of money became a problem for me, but with the help of a Saudi Arabia contact man working with the UN here (his office enjoys some diplomatic immunity) I was able to get the package out of trouble spot to a safe location since then, this that will remain undisclosed pending when I shall receive your assurance to assist me in sincerity. My Saudi contact man did not know the true contents of the two boxes while the security company where the two boxes were lodged did not also know the true content of the two boxes as well because I convinced my Saudi contact man that the real contents of the boxes are explosive military materials which I want to resell for my personal use as soon as I complete my service in Iraq, hence no one can tamper with it because of the fear that it will be exploded if tampered with.

I have been study the situation of things since then before making this decision to contact you for the assistance because an eyebrow were raised to us at that time that we discovered the money few years ago, to extent that some of my colleagues that counted the large amount declared by us were interrogated then for not being sincere with their counting. But the situation of things has since calmed down hence the reason why I am now able to contact you for this assistance request, besides I just recently survived two terrible suicides bomb attacks just by special grace of God, although I was wounded and I am presently receiving treatment to my damage left leg hence this also afford me an opportunity to contact you in order for me to use my present situation in finalizing this transaction with any trustworthy person once and for all.

I am ready to provide to you the information of my Saudi contact man that will make it possible for you to receive the money on my behalf, as without him the two boxes that contained the money cannot be released to anybody by the company in charge of the two boxes. Although that will still be until when I am very sure that you are willing to assist me with the faithfulness, sincerity and with the fear of God.

More importantly, I will appeal to you not to discuss this matter with anybody, should you have reasons to reject this offer, rather you should please destroy this message if you are not interested in this transaction as any leakage of this transaction will be too bad and catastrophic for me as I am still one of the serving soldiers here in Iraq. But should this proposal meet your consideration to assist me on this transaction, then don't hesitate to contact me through my private email at: (Capt.Christhomas@uwcmail.org)
.
I thank you so much in anticipation that you will be a trustworthy person and handle this transaction to the best of your ability for the benefit of both of us. Your percentage from the total sum will also be discussed and agreed upon as soon as I receive your response.

God Bless you and your family.

Respectfully,

Capt. Christopher Thomas

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