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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: "Donovan Blake." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <donovanblake5@web2mail.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:24:31 +0100
Subject: CAN I TRUST YOU ???

Hello Sir/Madam,

My name is Donovan Blake. I am presently here in Kabul-Afghanistan on a special investigation mission for the United Nations on their present crises related matter. I will leave my duty and appointment here out of this project for our safety and security. I am in a desperate need of your urgent assistance. I have summed up courage to contact you towards assisting me on my quest. I found your particulars (email) in an International email list directory from the Internet here and decided to contact you to assist me move the sum of ($15 Million U.S. Dollars) Fifteen Million United States Dollars to you in your country or any location of your choice. But I need to be assured that my share will be kept safe in your care until I complete my appointment here in Afghanistan.

Some money in various currencies was discovered in barrels at a farm house near one of the Taliban camps in Herat, during a rescue operation. It was agreed by some of our staffs and myself that part of this money be shared among us before informing anybody about it and turning it over to the United Nation, since we were the first to discover this money. Though this was quite an illegal thing to do as a UN officer, 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 and many other American soldiers.

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 red cross officer working here in Kabul whose office enjoy some immunity, I was able to get the money as a package out to a safe location entirely out of trouble spot as a personal effect of my late brother in-law. The red cross officer does not know the real content of the package and believes that it belongs to my brother in-law who died by a road side bomb blast here and before giving up, entrusted me to hand over the package to his family.

I have now found a very safe and secured way of getting the package out of here through diplomatic means so you can pick it up. I will abreast you with details when I am sure that you are willing to assist me. I believe that my money will be well secured in your hand because I feel you have the fear of God at heart and that you can be trusted. I intend to part away with 40% of this money as your share if you assist me concludes this project once we eventually come to a reasonable agreement.
You should also assure me that this issue will not be discussed with any other person and will be kept as top secret. Should you have any reason to reject this offer, please and please delete this message for any leakage of this information will be too bad for me personally and our staffs in general?

I am not certain how long it will take before I am discharges from here in Afghanistan. I have been shot at twice, wounded and survived two suicide bomb attacks by the grace of God. This and other reasons earlier mentioned have prompted me to reach out for help by contacting you.
I honestly want this issue resolved immediately. Please contact me as soon as possible on my Email:( donovanblake@luckymail.com).

Yours,
Donovan Blake.

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