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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: "LEO GHAZWAN" <ENGR_LGHAZWAN@engineer.com>
Date: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 17:00:29 -0400
Subject: WRITE ME BACK!!!


/GREETINGS!!!

THOUGH WE HAVE NEVER EXCHANGED ANY COMMUNICATION FOR THE FIRST TIME. WITHIN ME, I REASON THIS MIGHT APPEAR TO YOU AS A SURPRISE. NEVERTHELESS, THE WAR AND DREADFUL BLOOD SHADES IN MY COUNTRY TODAY PROPELLED ME TO WRITE YOU DIRECTLY. ENGR. LEO GHAZWAN IS MY NAME. I'M THE ''OWNER/CEO / MD'' OF (LEO CITY BUILDERS LTD) A WELL KNOWN HIGH PROFILE RECOGNIZED ''COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER www.leocitybuilders.wix.com/leoconsults INCORPORATED IN SYRIA ''THE CURRENT WAR ZONE''. MY EYES WERE SOAKED WITH TEARS AND SORROW OVER THE CONSTANT BLOOD SHADES IN MY COUNTRY AND OUR SURROUNDINGS. WHICH I KNOW YOU MUST HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT. MANY HOUSEHOLDS, FAR AND NEAR RELATIVES HAS LOST THEIR PRECIOUS LIFE. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE CONSTANT MASSIVE GRAVES THAT ARE BEEN DUG EVERYDAY HERE. MANY FAMILIES WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. SOME DO COMMIT SUICIDE AFTER LOSING THEIR RELATIVES. MANY INDUSTRIES,BANKS MINISTRIES,SCHOOLS,PROPERTIES ETC WERE BEEN WRECKED DOWN BY SO MAY DANGEROUS EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS, OUR ECONOMY HAS DEEPLY RUNDOWN. YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THE INFLUX OF DEATH-TOLLS HERE, WHERE PEOPLE
DIES LIKE FLIES.

I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT LIFE WILL EVER CAPSIZED TO THE EXTENT PUSHED ME AND MY FAMILY TO BE IN A ''REFUGEE CAMP'' JUST TO SECURE LIFE. IT IS ONLY OUR ''ALMIGHTY ALLAH'' THAT MADE ME TO LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF MY COUSIN SISTER THAT WORKED IN THE ''SYRIA GULF BANK'' . WHO ADVISED ME AHEAD OF TIME TO MOVE MY COMPANY'S ASSETS OUTSIDE SYRIA FOR A ''SAFE-KEEPING''. HAD IT BEEN THAT I IGNORED HER NOTION, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A DEAD SOUL BY NOW BECAUSE THE BANK WAS BOMBARDED AFTER ''ONE YEAR AND SOME FRACTIONS OF MONTHS'' THE WAR BROKE OUT. WHAT PAINED MOST WAS SHE WAS UNLUCKY TO MEET HER UNTIMELY DEATH WHILE DRIVING HOME.

MY ASSETS IS IN OUTSIDE COUNTRY NOW, BUT I AND MY FAMILY ARE LANGUISHING IN PAINS AND SORROW, NOT EVEN SURE OF OUR LIFE IN THIS REFUGEE CAMP. COMMUNICATIONS, MOVEMENTS WERE STRICTLY RESTRICTED BY TOP SECURITY OFFICIALS HERE. OH! HOW I WISH YOU CAN BE OF HELP TO ME AND MY FAMILY?. OUR ERNEST DESIRE IS TO DESERT THIS DUNGEON OUTRIGHTLY WITH MY HOUSEHOLD AND COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY. TO INVEST AND RESIDE FOR THE REST OF OUR LIFE?. I'M READY TO GO INTO ANY AREA OF LUCRATIVE BUSINESS VENTURE OF YOUR CHOICE AND ENTER INTO ANY INVESTMENTS AGREEMENTS WITH YOU, SO FAR I AND MY FAMILY WILL VACCATE HERE?. MANY OF MY PROPERTIES WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED DURING THIS PRESENT WAR. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DRAFT A LUCRATIVE INVESTMENTS VENTURES TO GO INTO OVER THERE. I WILL GIVE YOU 10% OUT OF MY TOTAL SUM OF ''ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS'' ''US$114,000,000.00'' I MOVED IN ''EUROPE'' BEFORE THE WAR BROKE OUT. FOR NOW, THERE HAS BEEN A VERY STRINGENT LAWS VESTED ON, BY MOVING FUNDS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. EVEN MANY EMBASSIES HAS ALSO PLACED THEIR OWN LAWS WITHIN THEIR CONSULATES. ALL THESE GIVES ME RESTLESS MIND. I WISH YOU COULD BOOK A TIME ON WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE US TO SEE OURSELVES ON A LIVE ''WEB-CAM'' I WILL ALSO ATTACH MY PICS AND MY FAMILY PICS AND SEND TO YOU? FOR YOU TO BE SURE THAT MY ''NATIONALITY IDENTITY'' YOU SEE IS MY REAL PERSON YOU SEES ON THE LIVE WEB-CAM.

* ENGR. LEO GHAZWAN
MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO
LEO CITY BUILDERS LTD.
www.leocitybuilders.wix.com/leoconsults

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