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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "BUTLER SAUNDERS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <butlersaunders009@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2017 16:58:53 -0500
Subject: Interim Assistance General Manager

Interim Assistance General Manager,
(Operations, Maintenance, Transportation)
Harrisburg International Airport Pennsylvania
One Terminal Drive, Middletown,
PA 17057, Pennsylvania USA
 
Greetings,
 
This is my second time of contacting you. I have very vital information to give to
 
you, but first I must have your trust before I review it to you because it may
 
cause me my job, so I need somebody that I can trust for me to be able to review
 
the secret to you.
 
I am Mr. Butler Saunders, head of luggage/baggage storage facilities (Operations,
 
Maintenance, and Transportation) here at the Harrisburg International Airport,
 
Pennsylvania USA. During my recent withheld package routine check at the Airport
 
Storage Vault, I discovered an abandoned shipment from a Diplomat from London and
 
when scanned it revealed an undisclosed sum of money in a Metal Trunk Box weighing
 
approximately 110kg. The consignment was abandoned because the Contents of the
 
consignment was not properly declared by the consignee as "MONEY" rather it was
 
declared as personal effect to avoid interrogation and also the inability of the
 
diplomat to pay for the United States Non Inspection Charges which is $6,700USD. On
 
my assumption the consignment is still left in our Storage House here at the
 
Harrisburg International Airport Pennsylvania till date. The details of the
 
consignment including your name, your email address and the official documents from
 
the United Nations office in Geneva are tagged on the Trunk box.
 
However, to enable me confirm if you are the actual recipient of this consignment
 
as the assistant director of the Inspection Unit, I will advise you provide your
 
current Phone Number and Full Address, to enable me cross check if it corresponds
 
with the address on the official documents including the name of nearest Airport
 
around your city. Please note that this consignment is supposed to have been
 
returned to the United States Treasury Department as unclaimed delivery due to the
 
delays in concluding the clearance processes so as a result of this, I will not be
 
able to receive your details on my official email account. So in order words to
 
enable me cross check your details, I will advise you send the required details to
 
my private email address for quick processing and response. Once I confirm you as
 
the actual recipient of the trunk box, I can get everything concluded within
 
48hours upon your acceptance and proceed to your address for delivery.
 
Lastly, be informed that the reason I have taken it upon myself to contact you
 
personally about this abandoned consignment is because I want us to transact this
 
business and share the money 70% for you and 30% for me since the consignment has
 
not yet been returned to the United States Treasury Department after being
 
abandoned by the diplomat so immediately the confirmation is made, I will go ahead
 
and pay for the United States Non Inspection Fee of $3,700 dollars and arrange for
 
the box to be delivered to your doorstep Or I can bring it by myself to avoid any
 
more trouble but you have to assure me of my 30% share.
 
I wait to hear from you urgently if you are still alive and I will appreciate if we
 
can keep this deal confidential. Please get back to me via my private Email :
 
(butlersaunders009@gmail.com) for further directives
 
Thank you.
Butler Saunders
Interim Assistance General Manager,
(Operations,Maintenance,Transportation)
Harrisburg International Airport Pennsylvania
One Terminal Drive, Middletown

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