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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "SGT.JAMES MCWOOD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sjtmcwoodjamesss@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 18:35:32 +0800
Subject: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AND GET BACK TO ME URGENTLY!

READ CAREFULLY AND REPLY URGENTLY!
 
 
I'M SGT JAMES MCWOOD, AN AMERICAN SOLDIER, SERVING IN THE MILITARY WITH THE ARMY’S 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. I HAVE A VERY DESPERATE NEED FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND HAVE
 
SUMMED UP COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU.
I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL AND I AM SEEKING YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF EIGHT MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS (US$8,000,000) TO
 
YOU IN UNITED STATES, AS FAR AS I CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE TILL I COMEOVER
SOURCE OF MONEY:
 
 
SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WERE DISCOVERED IN BARRELS AT A FARMHOUSE 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 BETWEEN 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 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 ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE ARE COMING HOME BUT WITH THE HELP OF A
 
BRITISH CONTACT WORKING HERE AND WITH HIS OFFICE ENJOYING 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 IRAQ, AND BEFORE GIVING UP,
 
TRUSTED ME TO HAND OVER THE PACKAGE TO HIS FAMILY IN UNITED STATES. I HAVE NOW FOUND A VERY SECURED WAY OF GETTING THE PACKAGE OUT OF IRAQ TO YOU AT HOME FOR YOU TO
 
PICK UP, AND I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU WHEN I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME AND THAT MY MONEY WILL BE WELL SECURED IN YOUR HAND.
 
 
I WANT YOU TO TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS MONEY FOR THE ASSISTANCE YOU WILL GIVE TO 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 FOR THE
 
U.S. SOLDIER’S HERE IN IRAQ. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE AS THE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING VERY HARD TO BRING EVERYBODY HOME, MONTH OF MAY WAS THE DEADLIEST
 
MONTH FOR US OUT HERE. TOTALY, WE LOST 127 MEN 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 TO SECURE THIS MONEY.
 
I HONESTLY WANT THIS MATTER TO BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH MY PRIVATE E-MAILADDRESS WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF COMMUNICATION FOR
 
NOW (EMAIL: sjtmcwoodjamesss@yahoo.com)
 
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
 
SGT.JAMESMCWOOD
 

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