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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: Office web <officewemail@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:48:37 -1100
Subject: MY NAME IS (SGT 1ST CLASS,) DANIEL V ESS; I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER

MY DEAR SIR,


HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? HOPE ALL IS WELL.MY NAME IS (SGT 1ST
CLASS,) DANIEL V ESS; I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER, SERVING IN THE MILITAR
IN IRAQ WITH THE ARMY'S 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. WITH A VERY DESPERATE
NEED FOR ASSISTANCE, I HAVE SUMMONED UP COURAGE TO CONTACT YOU.I FOUND
YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL. I AM SEEKING YOUR KIND
ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF (US$24.7 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS) TWENTY
FOUR MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY TO YOU,
AS FAR AS I CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE
UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE IN IRAQ.

SOURCE OF MONEY:-

SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WERE DISCOVERED IN BARRELS AT A FARM
HOUSE NEAR ONE OF SADDAM'S OLD PALACES IN TIKRIT-IRAQ DURING A RESCUE
OPERATION, AND IT WAS AGREED BY STAFF SGT KEN BROKE AND I THAT SOME
PART OF THIS MONEY BE SHARED AMONG BOTH OF US BEFORE INFORMING ANYBODY
ABOUT IT SINCE BOTH OF US SAW THE MONEY FIRST. THIS WAS QUITE AN
ILLEGAL THING 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 WEEK.

THE ABOVE FIGURE WAS GIVEN TO ME AS MY SHARE, AND TO CONCEAL THIS KIND
OF MONEY BECAME A PROBLEM FOR ME, SO WITH THE HELP OF A BRITISH
DIPLOMAT CONTACT WORKING HERE, AND HIS OFFICE ENJOY 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 CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE, AND I
TOLD HIM THAT THE CONSINGMENT BELONGS TO AN AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR
WHO DIED IN A RAID HERE 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 OUT OF IRAQ TO YOU IN THE
COUNTRY FOR YOU TO PICK UP, AND I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU WHEN I AM
SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME, AND I BELIEVE THAT MY MONEY
WILL BE WELL SECURED IN YOUR HAND BECAUSE I BELIEVE YOU HAVE FEAR OF
GOD.I PRAY THAT WITH YOU MY DREAM WILL COME TRUE AS I GOT YOUR
INFORMATION FROM JOURNAL LIST.

I WANT YOU TO TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS MONEY FOR THE
ASSISTANCE YOU WILL GIVE TO ME, BECAUSE I WANT TO SHARE MY OWN PART
WITH CHARITY HOMES ONCE I FINISH MY SERVICE 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 SOLDIER'S HERE IN IRAQ. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL
REMAIN HERE, AND I HAVE BEEN SHOT, WOUNDED AND SURVIVED TWO SUICIDE
BOMB ATTACKS, 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
EMAIL ADDRESS (dan_daness1@yahoo.com) WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF
COMMUNICATION ATTACHED IS THE PHOTO WE TOOK WITH MONEY IN SADDAM
HUSSEIN PALACE IN IRAQ.
.
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
SGT DANIEL V ESS.

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