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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: "John England" (may be fake)
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:55:31 -0000
Subject: Dear Friend

INVESTMENT/BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

Dear Friend,

Permit the manner with which I am seeking your assistance but I am short of options and have no other choice. I am John England from the hospitality state (Mississippi), an army contractor attached to the US Military force in Afghanistan. The reason why I’m contacting you is to explain my findings to you and to seek for your assistance to enable you contributes immensely to the actualization of my dream.


I am attached to the US army for the sole purpose of reconstruction work in some parts of Afghanistan. As you know very well Afghanistan is gradually undergoing a rebuilding process in some parts and there is much need for reconstruction which was why I was invited. I evaluate the level of destruction and offer professional advice in line with the way they intend rebuilding and reconstructing damaged facilities. Work has been risky no doubt and challenging as sometimes we are faced hard on with armed insurgents where we lose some soldiers during confrontation. I have had my own share of losses as I lost a friend whom I have known for 16 years.

On the 12th day of October 2011, at about 1100 hrs during a normal inspection routine along Kabul the capital of Afghanistan where there is long rough high-rise buildings which were built and occupied by the Taliban and Al Qaeda, I with other 3 soldiers proceeded to a marked site and as I commenced evaluation work while i was closely guided by soldiers, I discovered an unusual bulge in a cellar which i presumed to be a storage room, I decided to have a look at it, only for me to kick the metal covering and find a metal boxes (5 in number) piled on top one another which were locked with a padlock each with a sign written in each of them.

Upon forcing the boxes open, we discovered several guns, amour and some boxes amongst which two contained guns and bullets, one filled with hard drugs (heroine) and the other two to my amazement contained some US Dollars and kilograms of alluvial Gold, which we counted and discovered that the money in one of the boxes amounted to $9.2 Million. I believe the boxes owned and linked to the Al Qaeda and Taliban.

I however instructed them to keep this in high secrecy so that we can have the money and alluvial Gold to our selves, they all agreed to the plan of getting the money out of the

country, but first we had to hide the money and alluvial Gold in some safe and untraceable location. We secretly kept the boxes in a safer place after which we handed over the drugs and the weapons to our superiors.

I am now in desperate need of a “Reliable and Trustworthy” person like you who would receive, secure and protect these boxes containing the US Dollars and alluvial Gold for me until my assignment elapses here. We cannot afford to leave the boxes here in Afghanistan for any reason since Afghanistan is getting unsafe and dangerous everyday. We have no idea what could happen next as everything remains inconclusive at this point. I am fully aware of
what your thoughts would be next, but on receiver of your response with the below information, I will send my picture as well as my Identity, for you to know whom you are dealing with.

I assure and promise to give you 15% of this fund and some quantity of the alluvial Gold and you will assist me to invest my own share of the consignment in your firm/country,but please assure me of your keeping this topmost secret within you so that my job would not be jeopardized.

In any case, if this business proposition offends your moral values, do accept my apology.


Respectfully submitted.
John England.

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