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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: "Matthew Humiston" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <m.humiston@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 17:03:15 +0100
Subject: I will like to confide in you

Hello,
 
Accept my sincere apology for contacting you in this manner over a transaction of this magnitude, but because I am very desperate to have this funds transferred to a safe location, I salute your courage in helping a man who is sincerely in need of your help. I do hope that I am able to become part of civilization again sometime soon. I say this because I have faced a lot of horrors here and have seen my comrades and friends either wounded or fatally injured. You begin to wonder what the value of human life is when you see people around you doing desperate things to kill their fellow humans. I do not know how to draw a picture of the happenings here and do not intend to start painting one as it won't be a pretty sight. I just pray that majority of US here, US Soldiers, get to go back home to their families alive without any unpleasant luggage both bodily and mentally. To lay down ones life for his fellow human and for Love of Country is the Ultimate sacrifice and this I have sworn to do as a Marine Corps Off
 
I want to assure you that this project is real and one hundred percent risk free and does not relate to any breach of law or proceeds from drugs. It is a matter of necessity to contact you for assistance without any further investigations about your person, it is therefore necessary that you tell me a little about yourself, I hope no form of betrayal will be experienced in the course of our collaboration, I must give you my trust because this transaction is no joke and such opportunity comes once in a life time. As stated in my last email to you, I plan on using a Red cross diplomatic means to shipping the money out of Afghanistan.As military cargo into Europe, using diplomatic immunity by means of a European Red cross diplomat who enjoys diplomatic immunity as a United Nations worker. He has been transferred out of Afghanistan. and is to start work in Europe. My intention is to have the package sent to you from within Europe via a Special Security Firm who handles the prompt delivery of confidential valuabl
 
I do believe that for this venture of ours to be fruitful, there must be a strong mutual understanding between both parties, so I will require that you provide me with any information about yourself for acquaintance purposes ONLY so that I can know a bit more about you since I would be trusting you with a very large responsibility and entrusting in your care a huge amount of money. As regards this mutually benefiting business of ours I am inclined to share the money with you in a 70%, 30% ratio. The 70% would go to me and the rest which is 30% would be for you, my own share of the funds is to be held in good faith by you until a time I would be able to collect it from you. I hope to hear from you soonest with the information about yourself (Full Name, Contact Address, Tel, Occupation, and Age).
 
Do take care of yourself and pray for the ones who are fighting the good fight for your Country and Humanity. I await your urgent response.
 
Respectfully,
Capt. Matthew Humiston
United States Marine Corps.Afghanistan.

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