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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: Sgt Robert Green <sgtrobertgreen32@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2014 07:17:25 -0800
Subject: until I complete my service here

DEAR FRIEND

My name is (Staff Sgt) Sgt Robert Green , I'm an American soldier serving
in the military with the Army's 3rd Infantry division Iraq but now
redeployed to Afghanistan. I have a very desperate need for assistance and
have summed up courage to contact you.

I found your contact particulars in an address journal and I'm seeking your
kind assistance to move the sum of Eight Million United States Dollars
(US$8M) to you in the United States as far as I can be assured that my
share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here.

SOURCE OF MONEY:
Some money in various currencies were discovered in barrels at a farmhouse
near 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 does not sound right 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 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 content of the package as he believes that it belongs to
a British/American Medical doctor who died in a raid 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 to you at home
for you to pick up, and I will discuss this with you when I 'm sure that
you are willing to assist me and that the money will be well secured in
your hands. I feel this is the right time to send this money home

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, I beg you to destroy this message as any
leakage of this information will be too bad for the US soldiers in Iraq and
even Afghanistan.

I do not know how long we will remain in this war, as each day looks
horrifying with deadly operation and battle against die hard militants and
terrorists. Totally, we lost well over 4,500 men so far and I have survived
two suicide bomb attacks and other forms of attack 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 private E-mail address which is my only way of
communication May God bless you

Sgt Robert Green

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