419 scam: "Mr. Donald Adams"<donad009@ymail.com> TREAT AS URGENT AND GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- donadams224@gmail.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Donald Adams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <donadams220@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2014 18:30:40 +0100
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT AND GET BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY

Dear Friend,

I hope this email finds you in good health. I am Mr. Donald Adams,originally from
Fiji Islands, but I am presently in Afghanistan as an expert doctor of medicine.
On the 12th of April, 2014 my wife and I were approached by a British Soldier, Warrant
Officer Faulkner Spencer, who handed a box full of cash totaling $65.8 Million U.S dollars to
me and my wife for safe keeping and begged us never to disclose this to anyone. Unfortunately,exactly two weeks later news reached us that he had an accident and
died in an Helicopter crash in Takhta Pul District, Afghanistan. Kindly view the link below
for confirmation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10629358

My wife and I wants to use this opportunity to seek for your assistance to help us
repatriate this fund to your country for investment purposes because the fund is not safe
here and we can no longer hold on to this fund since Officer Faulkner is no
more and we are willing to compensate you with 40% of the total sum for your help.
We will be very grateful if our proposal is considered and given the urgent attention it deserves.

Please, you can reach us on our private e-mails:

donadams224@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Mr.Donald Adams.

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam