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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: <dicksonjerry.us.army.mil@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <sgtalex077@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2011 02:59:38 +0300
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?. HOPE ALL IS WELL.
MY NAME IS ( SGT 1ST CLASS DICKSON JERRY, I AM AN
AMERICAN SOLDIER, SERVING IN THE MILITARY WITH THE ARMY 3RD
INFANTRY DIVISION. WITH A VERY DESPERATE NEED FOR
ASSISTANCE, I HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU.
I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL.
I AM SEEKING YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF (
$14 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS ) FOURTEEN MILLION UNITED
STATES DOLLARS TO YOU IN UNITED STATES, AS FAR AS I CAN
BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE
UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE, THIS IS NO STOLEN MONEY, AND
THERE ARE NO DANGER INVOLVED.

SOURCE OF MONEY:

SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WAS DISCOVERED IN
BARRELS AT A FARMHOUSE NEAR ONE OF SADDAM 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 AMONG BOTH OF US BEFORE
INFORMING ANYBODY ABOUT IT SINCE BOTH OF US SAW THE
MONEY FIRST.

THE ABOVE FIGURE WAS GIVEN TO ME AS MY SHARE, AND TO
CONCEAL THIS KIND OF MONEY BECAME APROBLEM FOR ME, SO
WITH THE HELP OF A BRITHISH DIPLOMAT CONTACT WORKING HERE, AND
HIS OFFICE ENJOY 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, I HAVE NOW FOUND A VERY SECURED WAY OF GETTING THE
PACKAGE OUT OF IRAQ TO THE STATE FOR YOU TO PICK UP,
AND I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU WHEN I AM SURE THAT
YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME.

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 US SOLDIER HERE IN IRAQ.

I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE, 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, I
HONESTLY WANT THIS MATTER TO BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY,
PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH MY E-MAIL
ADDRESSWHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF COMMUNICATION.
dicksonjerry.us.army.mil@gmail.com
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
ATTACH IS OUR PICTURE BELOW

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