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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: "SGT DAVID,W ESS" <sgt2877@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: sagentdavidess@yahoo.com
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 05:11:42 +0400
Subject: CONTACT ME

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?. HOPE ALL IS WELL.

MY NAME IS ( SGT 1ST CLASS ) DAVID w. ESS, I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER,
SERVING IN THE MILITARY WITH THE ARMY’S 3RD INFANTRYDIVISION. WITH A
VERY DESPERATE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE, I HAVE SUMMED UPCOURAGE TO CONTACT
YOU.
I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL. I AM SEEKING
YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THE SUM OF ( $8 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS ) EIGHT
MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS TO YOU IN UNITED STATES, AS FAR AS I CAN BE
ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE
HERE.
SOURCE OF MONEY:
SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WAS DISCOVERED IN BARRELS AT A
FARMHOUSE NEAR ONE OF SADDAM’S OLD PALACES IN TIKRIT-IRAQ DURING A RESCUE
OPERATION, AND IT WAS AGREED BY STAFF SGT KENNETH BUFF AND I THAT SOME
PART OF THIS MONEY BE SHARED AMONG BOTH OF US BEFOREINFORMING ANYBODY ABOUT
IT SINCE BOTH OF US SAW THE MONEY FIRST. THIS WAS QUITE AN ILLEGAL THING TO
DO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT ? NO COMPENSATION CAN MAKE UP FOR THE RISK WE HAVE
TAKEN WITH OUR LIVES IN THIS HELL HOLE. OF WHICH MY BROTHER IN-LAW WAS
KILLED BY A ROAD SIDE BOMB LAST TIME.
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 BRITHISH CONTACT
WORKING HERE, AND HIS OFFICE ENJOY SOME IMMUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE
PACKAGE OUT TO A SAFE LOCATION ENTIRELY OUT OFTROUBLE SPOT. HE DOES NOT
KNOW THE REAL CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE, AND BELIEVES THAT IT BELONGS TO A
BRITHISH/AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO DIED IN AN RAID HERE IN IRAQ, AND
BEFORE GIVING UP, TRUSTED ME TO HAND OVER THE PACKAGE TO HIS FAMILY IN
UNITED STATES. I HAVE NOW FOUND A VERY SECURED WAY OF GETTING THE PACKAGE
OUT OF IRAQ TO Your Country 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 YOU HAVE FEAR OF
GOD.
I WANT YOU TO TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THIS MONEY FOR THE
ASSISTANCE YOU WILL GIVE 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 PLEASE AND PLEASE DESTROY THIS MESSAGE AS ANY
LEAKAGE OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TOO BAD FOR US SOLDIER’S HERE IN
IRAQ. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE, AND 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, I HONESTLY WANT THIS MATTER TO BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE CONTACT
ME
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH MY E-MAILADDRESS WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF
COMMUNICATION:2david_west@myway.com
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

DAVID w. ESS.

_________________________________________________________________
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