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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: "William Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wcaptijohni1@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:57:36 -0500
Subject: Your response is needed urgently

Dear Friend,
 
 
With trust, I faithfully write to you as i know this mail will definitely
come to you as a huge surprise, but I implore you to take the time to go
through the details carefully as the decision you make will go a long way
to determine the future of my business prospect with you.
 
Meanwhile let me briefly introduce myself to you as I write to you this
email with a high sense of sincerity, trust and as my confidant. I am
Captain William Johnson from the Praire State in Southern Illinois. I am a
commander of the Special N.A.T.O coalition force with the United Nation
troops in Afghanistan; we are in Afghanistan on war against terrorist and
Taliban?s operation. I am serving currently in a remote Village in Bamyan
province the bustling capital Kabul (CBC?s Doc Zone).
 
 
Work has been so risky no doubt, and challenging as sometimes, we are faced
head with armed insurgent 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 12 years.
 
On the 10th day of May 2013, at about 1100hrs during one of our patrol
routine along Kandahar, a suburb few kilometers from Kunduz, we got an Intel
about some Taliban members camping in Marzar Sharif. We invaded the place
and after hours of gun battle, we captured three (3) of the Taliban
terrorists members,(7) were injured during the battle and In the process
of torture they confessed they were Taliban members that worked under Abu
Baqir a Taliban sub-commander and al-Qaida group leader who was killed by
Us soldiers in an airstrike in kunduz Afghanistan's northern Province.
They took us to their cave in Marzar Sharif which also serve as their
camp, there we discovered five(5)metal boxes piled on top one another
which were locked with a padlock each.
 
While we tried to force the box open, to my greatest surprise I discovered
several guns, armor and amongst, two boxes contained bullets, one filled
with hard drugs and the other two to my amazement contained some US
Dollars which amounted to $23.5M after I and two of my colleagues counted
them for several hours. I believed that the boxes are owned or are linked
to the Al Qaeda and Adman al-Zawahiri.
 
Having told you this as my confidant, it will be my delight and pleasure if
you will assist me towards actualizing my dream with this development.
Unanimously, we agreed to keep this as a secret among ourselves, and
agreed to get the money out of the country for ourselves but first, we
have hidden the two boxes that contain the US dollars in a safe and
untraced location already.
 
Now, am DESPERATELY in need of a ?RELIABLE and TRUSTWORTHY? person who will
receive, secure and safe guard these box containing the US dollars for me
until my assignment elapses.
 
I am aware of what your thoughts would be next but don?t conclude that yet
because I am willing to guard and give you every logistics plans to follow
in order to have hitched free in this deal.Also, I am not from any
authority that will implicate you; Is just that I need your help urgently
to execute this deal and am assuring you that this deal is 100% risk free.
My proposal to you is, if you are willing to help me receive the boxes
(Money)you will be entitled to 20% of this fund in the end; Once again, I
confide strictly in you and appeal that you keep this topmost secret so
that we do not lose our lives.
 
Please kindly get back to me at my private email address
wjohnson_jr1@yahoo.com With the assurances of my gratitude and compliance
to the terms, I remain;
 
Very sincerely,
Capt.William Johnson
 

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