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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: "COL. TED CLARKE" <info@donas-proxi1.info>
Reply-To: col.tedclarkes@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:04:03 +0000
Subject: RESPOND FAST, PLEASE


Please respond fast.

My name is Ted Clarke an American soldier serving in the military with the army 3rd infantry division in Afghanistan. I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of ($6 million U.S. dollars) Six Million United States dollars to you as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here.

Some money in various currencies were discovered in barrels at a farmhouse during a rescue operation, and it was agreed by my colleagues and I that some part of this money be shared among both of us before informing anybody about it, so we decided to share part of the money and I must confess to you there is no compensation that can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell hole. Of which some many of our officers have been killed. The above figure was given to me as my share, and to conceal this kind of money became a problem for me, so with the help of a British contact working here, I was able to get the package out to a safe location entirely out of trouble spot.

He doesn't 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 in his country, I have now found a very secured way of getting the package out of Afghanistan for you to pick up, and I will discuss this with you when I am sure that you are willing to assist me, and I believe that my money will be well secured in your hand because I feel you are humane. I want you to tell me how much you will take from this money upon your assistance. 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 destroy this message as any leakage of this information will be too bad for us soldiers here in Afghanistan.

I do not know how long we will remain here, and I have been wounded and survived so many times, I honestly want this matter solved immediately, please contact me as soon as possible via this medium which is my only way of communication here.

God bless you and your family.
Col Ted Clarke




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