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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: "Major General Bert K. Mizusawa." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <b_mizusawa@yahoo.com.sg>
Date: Tue, 24 May 2016 13:13:55 -0700
Subject: REGARDS,

Hello Dear,
 
My name is Major General Bert K. Mizusawa  ; I am a Japanese  American soldier, serving in the military with ISAF Joint Command Headquarters(Combined Joint Inter agency Task Force ) in Afghanistan. With a very desperate need for assistance, I have summed up courage to contact you.I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of (US$12.7, million dollars) to you, as far as I can be assured that my money will be safe in your care until I complete my service here come next month, this is legitimate, and there is no danger involved.
 
The above figure was concealed  with the help of a Polish contact working here and his office enjoy some immunity, I was able to get the package out to a safe location . He does not know the real contents of the package, and believes that it belongs to an Italian medical doctor who died in a raid here in Afghanistan, and before giving up trusted me to hand over the package to his family.
 
I want to promise you 30% of this money for the assistance you will give to me but 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 Afghanistan. In less than 4 days the box should be in your possession and as I said earlier, I will give you 30% of the total amount and 70% for me.  Get back to me with your full information and I will proceed with the registration.
 
Your Full Name ..........................
 
Your Full Address .......................
 
Your Direct Mobile Number ................
 
Scanned Copy Of Your ID...................
 
Regards,
 
Major General Bert K. Mizusawa.

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