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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.ADAMS MCWOOD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <sgt.adamsmcwood@rocketmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:30:02 +0800
Subject: READ CAREFULLY AND REPLY URGENTLY PLEASE!

READ CAREFULLY AND REPLY URGENTLY!
 
GOOD DAY,
 
I'M SGT ADAMS 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 COME OVER.
SOURCE OF MONEY:
 
SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WERE DISCOVERED IN BARRELS AT A FARM HOUSE 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 WILL SOON BE COMING HOME AS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND THE IRAQI PREMIER NOURI MALEKI ANNOUNCED WITHDRAWAL OF ALL AMERICAN FORCE FROM IRAQ LATEST TILL THE END OF 2011. 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. AS THE U.S GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENT HAS FINALLY DECLARED TO BRING EVERYBODY HOME, MONTH OF DECEMBER WAS THE DEADLIEST MONTH FOR US OUT HERE. TOTALLY, WE LOST 127 MEN AND I HAVE BEEN SHOT, WOUNDED AND SURVIVED TWO SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS BY THE SPECIAL GRACE.
 
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-MAIL ADDRESS WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF COMMUNICATION FOR NOW (EMAIL: sgt.adamsmcwood@ymail.com).
MAY YOU AND YOUR FAMILY REMAIN BLESS.
SGT.ADAMS MCWOOD

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