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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: "Oswald Lewis" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <oswald.lewwis@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2017 13:28:46 +0100
Subject: Please i need your urgent help....

Greetings,
I know really that this message will come to you as a surprise but please permit me to introduce myself to you because i am seriously in need of your assistance. I am Sergeant Oswald Lewis, a security agent with the United Nations troop in Iraq, on war against ISIL. On the other hand, i want to inform you that i have in my possession the sum of $10.8 Million United States Dollars which was recovered from one of our raids on terrorists here in Iraq because they keep most of their money at home for evil activities which they normally get through illegal deals on crude oil.
 
Based on the suffering we undergo here some of us do meet such luck. It happened that i went for this raid with the men in my unit and found this fund, I decided to take it as my share for my stress here in this evil land filled with suicide bombers. I registered this money with Diplomatic Courier Service (attached to the Red Cross) as a diplomatic bag containing classified and sensitive documents and transferred it to Europe and deposited it in security company.
 
I want you to know that diplomats run a courier service which is called Diplomatic Courier Service. This service is meant for transferring classified and sensitive documents, huge funds and precious stones. They call it diplomatic bag. This diplomatic bag will be registered under service and will be carried with their diplomatic immunity to any country where they have diplomatic grounds and then deliver it to the owner of the diplomatic bag.
 
I told the diplomat who is a very good friend of mine with a decent mind because i gave him security assistance when he came here, that the diplomatic bag belongs to a friend of mine that traveled for a business deal and that he will contact him as soon as possible to claim the diplomatic bag when he returns. I am a uniformed person and I cannot be parading such an amount so I need to present someone to the diplomat because he did not know that the diplomatic bag belongs to me, it is 100% risk free and it is under my power to approve whoever comes forth for this money to avoid demurrage at the security company.
I cannot move this money myself owing to the nature of my job hence i will be in Iraq for about four years, so i need someone i could trust and your acceptance. Please if you are interested in this transaction i will give to you the complete details and the contact of the diplomat in Europe, you need it for us to carry out this transaction successfully. I decided to find someone that is real and not imaginary and that is why i went to a secure business directory where I can be sure that the person is real. I believe i can trust you. Where we are now we have only our military communication facilities which is not secured for a telephone conversation, so i prefer writing to you where nobody can monitor our emails.
 
If you are not interested do not reply to this email and please delete this message. If no response after 3 days, i will then search for someone else. I am doing this on trust, you should understand that as a trained military expert I will always play safe in case you are the bad type, but i pray you are not. $10.8 Million is a lot of money which is the dream of anyone. I am ready to give you 40% of the total sum for all your help and 60% will be for me.
 
I await your urgent reply to this email so that we can proceed.
Thanks and God bless you and your family.
 
Cordial wishes,
 
Sgt. Oswald Lewis

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