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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: "MR JERRY CLAYTON PRATT" <jcprattmaildesk@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: officewebname@qq.com
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2016 23:58:32 +0200
Subject: LETTER OF INTENT

Greetings,

It suspicious considering the type of fraud proposals moving around the
world today. However, i was advised to explain this deal to you on face to
face meeting due to its confidentiality, i could not do this because of my
current location and also the situation in the world today not being sure
of your reaction.

You already know my name as first lieutenant Jerry Clayton Pratt; a united
states army with 1st infantry company currently deployed to Afghanistan.i
have a very desperate need for assistance and have summed up courage to
contact you this morning i want to see your kind assistance to move the
sum of six million and two hundred thousand united states dollars
(us$3.500,000.00) to you for safe keeping or further investment into any
viable business, as far as i can be assured that my share will be safe in
your care until i complete my service here.

The source of money:

These sum of money in united states and other foreign currencies was
discovered by me and some members of my unit in a cave used by insurgents
who we have strong believes also have links to some known terrorist
groups. This money was among-st other valuables discovered.

The above figure was given to me as my share, and to conceal this kind of
money became a problem for me but with the help of a British contactor
working here and with his office enjoying some immunity 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 believes that it belongs to
a British/American medical doctor who died in a raid here in
Afghanistan,and before giving up, trusted me to hand over the package to
his family have now found a very secured way of getting the package out of
Afghanistan to you for pick up and invest it into any viable business
until i am relief of my duty to meet with you for my own share, and i will
discuss this with you when i am sure that you are willing to assist me and
that my money will be well secured in your hands.

I want you to tell me how much you will take from this money for the
assistance you will render to me. 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 the us soldier's here in
Afghanistan.i have been shot, wounded and survived two suicide bomb
attacks by the special grace of God. this and other reasons i will mention
later has prompted me to reach out for help please contact me as soon as
possible.

May god bless you and your family.

Truly Yours,
Jerry Clayton. Pratt


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