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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: "Sgt victor brown" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <srgvictorbrown1@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 23:54:50 -0700
Subject: From Sgt Victor Brown,

>From Sgt Victor Brown,

Good Day,

I found your contact particulars in an E-mail address guide that was provided to
us here, as I desperately needed an urgent help to do this deal. I am seeking
your kind assistance to move the sum of $12m {Twelve Million U.S Dollars only}
to you; as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care until
I complete my service here.

SOURCE OF FUND:

A lot of money in various currencies were discovered in barrels at a farmhouse
near one of saddams old palaces in Tikrit in Iraq during an operation Conquest
in Fallujah north of Baghdad, 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 is quite an illegal thing to
do, but well 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.

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, at
Southern Basra British fortified green zone, whose office enjoys 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 British/American medical doctor who died in a raid here in Baghdad,
and before giving up, trusted me to hand over the package to his family in
United States. I have now found a much secured way of getting the package out of
Iraq to you, for you to pick it up, and I will discuss this with you when I am
sure that you are willing to assist me, and I believe that my money will be well
secured in your hand because you have fear of God.

I want you to tell me how much you will take from this money for the assistance
you will give 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
and please destroy this message as any leakage of this information will be too
bad and catastrophe for soldiers here in Iraq. I do not know how long we will
remain here, but I hope to have a shift very soon for me to return back to the
States. I have been shot and wounded twice and I have survived two terrible
suicides bomb attacks just by special grace of God, this and other reasons I
will mention later has prompted me to reach out for help, I will honestly want
this matter be resolved immediately.See link below for more information about the origin of the money:
http://www.voanews.com/burmese/archive/2003-04/a-2003-04-20-1-1.cfm

I thank you so much for everything and anticipate that you will be trustworthy
and handle this transaction to the best of your ability to benefit both of us.


God Bless you and your family.
Reply only to srgvictorbrown1@gmail.com

Yours

Sgt. Victor Brown.

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