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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: "1Lt.Spencer Murdock" <zxz-----------z5@att.net>
Reply-To: <spencermurdock@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:05:40 -0700
Subject: LETTER OF INTENT FROM US ARMY,AFGHANISTAN!

HELLO,

PARDON ME IF I HAVE OFFENDED YOU BY CONTACTING YOU FOR SUCH A BIG TRANSACTION THROUGH AN ORDINARY LETTER WHICH MAKES IT SUSPICIOUS CONSIDERING THE TYPE OF FRAUD PROPOSALS MOVING AROUND THE WORLD TODAY. HOWEVER, I WAS ADVISED TO EXPLAIN THIS TRANSACTION TO YOU ON FACE TO FACE MEETING DUE TO IT'S CONFIDENTIALITY, I COULD NOT DO THIS BECAUSE OF MY CURRENT LOCATION AND ALSO THE SITUATION IN THE WORLD TODAY NOT BEING SURE OF YOUR REACTION.


MY NAME IS FIRST LIEUTENANT SPENCER MURDOCK; I AM A UNITED STATES ARMY WITH 1LT INFANTRY COMPANY CURRENTLY DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN. I HAVE A VERY DESPERATE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE AND HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU

I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ONLINE ADDRESS JOURNAL AND I AM SEEKING YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF SIX MILLION AND TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS (US$6,200,000) TO YOU FOR SAFE KEEPING OR FURTHER INVESTMENT INTO ANY VIABLE BUSINESS, AS FAR AS I CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE.

SOURCE OF MONEY:
A RATHER LARGE SUM OF MONEY IN UNITED STATES AND OTHER FOREIGN CURRENCIES WAS DISCOVERED BY ME AND MEMBERS OF MY UNIT IN A CAVE USED BY INSURGENTS WHO WE HAVE STRONG BELIEVES ALSO HAVE LINKS TO SOME KNOWN TERRORIST GROUPS.THIS MONEY WAS AMONGST OTHER VALUABLES DISCOVERED.

THE ABOVE FIGURE WAS GIVEN TO ME AS MY SHARE, AND TO CONCEAL THIS KIND OF MONEY BECAME A PROBLEM FOR ME 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 AFGHANISTAN,AND BEFORE GIVING UP, TRUSTED ME TO HAND OVER THE PACKAGE TO HIS FAMILY .I HAVE NOW FOUND A VERY SECURED WAY OF GETTING THE PACKAGE OUT OF AFGHANISTAN TO YOU FOR PICK UP AND INVEST IT INTO ANY VIABLE BUSINESS UNTIL I AM RELIEF OF MY DUTY TO MEET WITH YOU FOR MY OWN SHARE, 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
AFGHANISTAN. 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. PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.


MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.


1LT. SPENCER MURDOCK

E-MAIL:SPENCERMURDOCK1@HOTMAIL.COM

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