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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: "Col. Ben James" <test@almatyresort.kz>
Reply-To: <lazwhitaker1@yahoo.com.ph>
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:27:04 +1100
Subject: Can we do it?.

Hello friend,
I want to trust you with this confidential proposal. Before I continue, I am Col. Ben James  Australia’s military contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan on war against terrorism.
 
I am the Deputy Commander of CT-U, With the series of killing of NATO troops in Afghanistan especially the shot down of US helicopter that killed 30 American soldiers on the 5th of August 2011 and the five American soldiers who were killed by a bomb in Afghanistan during the same period. After this series of killing, with this recent incident that we are facing right now I and my colleague decided to share the money we recovered for some time in a raid on terrorist’s camp in Afghanistan here. I have in my possession the sum of $9.7M (Nine million seven hundred Thousand US Dollars).
 
I have carefully packaged the money in a box, I have made contact with a friend who is working with the air force under UNITED NATIONS here in Kabul. He will assist me move the consignment out of the trouble area down to Malaysia where it would be deposited with SECRET SECURITY VAULT under UNITED NATIONS ASIA CLEARING UNION MALAYSIA as a diplomatic luggage. I have told him that the luggage belongs to one of our doctors that died on a raid here but before he gave up he pleaded me to make sure the luggage gets to his family. He will deposit the consignment for safe keep and to make contacts for its proper use.
 
Therefore I need someone I can work with on trust, that is why I contacted you. If accepted I will put you forward as the beneficiary/owner of the funds (consignment) and then the consignment will be deposited on your name as the beneficiary and the United Nations will deliver the box to you anywhere in the world. I just need your acceptance and all is done. I have 100% assurance that you will surely receive the box without any hitch through United Nations, every arrangement will be made to proceed to your country for the delivery. I am willing to offer you 30% of the total sum when the money is delivered to you.
 
The only telephone access we have here is radio message which is for our general use and is being monitored; therefore all communication will be via email till we finish our assignment here. 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 as soldiers here in Afghanistan, thank God for re-election of President Barrack Obama whose keen interest is to call us back home soon.
 
Regards,
Col. Ben James.

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