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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: "Capt William Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wcaptjohnson2@sify.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:03:28 +0100
Subject: I SEEK FOR YOUR URGENT HELP

Dear Friend,
 
 
Permit the manner with which I am seeking your assistance but I am short of options and have no other choice. I am William Johnson  from the hospitality state ( Mississippi ), an army contractor attached to the US Military force in Iraq . The reason why I am explaining my finding to you is to seek for your assistance to enable you contributes immensely to the actualization of my dream. I am attached to the US army for the sole purpose of reconstruction work in some parts of Iraq . As you very well know Iraq is gradually undergoing a rebuilding process in some parts and there is much need for reconstruction which is were I come in. I evaluate the level of destruction and offer professional advice in line with the way they intend rebuilding. Work has been risky no doubt and challenging as some times we are faced head on with armed insurgents where we lose some soldiers during confrontation. I have had my own share of losses as I lost a friend whom I have known for 12years.
 
On the 4th day of August 2009, at about 11:00hrs during a normal inspection routine along Haifa Street where there is long through fare of high-rise buildings which were built and occupied by the late Saddam Hussein while he was still alive, I along with 3 soldiers proceeded to a marked site and as I commenced evaluation work while i was closely guarded by soldiers, I discovered an unusual bulge in a cellar which i presumed to be a storage room. I decided to have a go at it only for me to kick the metal covering and find metal boxes (6 in number) piled on top one another which were locked with a padlock each.
 
Upon forcing the boxes open, we discovered several guns, amour and some boxes amongst which two contained bullets, one filled with hard drugs(heroine)and the other two to my amazement contained some US Dollars which amounted to $23.5M after I and two of the soldiers counted them for about 3 hours. I believe the boxes if not owned are linked to the Al Qaeda and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
 
I however instructed them to keep this in high secrecy so that we can have the money to our selves, they all agreed to the plan and we were going to get the money out of the country but first we had to hide the money in some safe and untraceable location. This made me to consult with a friend in our force who went with me and the two other officers to secretly keep the boxes in a safer place after which we handed over the drugs and the weaponry to our superiors.
 
I am now in desperate need of a Reliable and Trustworthy person like you who would receive, secure and protect these boxes containing the US Dollars for me up on till my assignment elapses here. We cannot afford to leave the boxes here in Iraq for any reason since Iraq is getting unsafe and dangerous every day.
 
We have no idea what could happen next as everything remains inconclusive at this point. I am fully aware of what your thoughts would be next but don’t conclude yet as am ready to proof myself to the last point of this deal and I assure you that this deal is 100% risk free as we will discussion the percentage upon a positive response from you which you are also free to renegotiate. Please, I want you to assure me that you are going to keeping this Deal topmost secret within us so that my job would not be jeopardized. Please contact me through my personal email address wcapt.johnson2@sify.com
 
 
 
My Sincere Regards,
 
William Johnson.

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