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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: "david ess" <sgt_dav4@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2007 10:02:55 +0100
Subject: READ MY MAIL AND GET RICH

READ MY MAIL AND GET RICH

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? HOPE ALL IS WELL.
MY NAME IS (SGT 1ST CLASS) DAVID V. ESS; I AM AN
AMERICAN SOLDIER, SERVING IN THE MILITARY WITH THE
ARMYS 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. WITH A VERY DESPERATE
NEED FOR ASSISTANCE, I HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE 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 WERE DISCOVERED IN
BARRELS AT A FARMHOUSE NEAR ONE OF SADDAMS 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
BEFORE INFORMING 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 OF TROUBLE
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 A 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 AND PLEASE DESTROY THIS
MESSAGE AS ANY LEAKAGE OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TOO
BAD FOR US SOLDIERS 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 PRIVATE
E-MAIL ADDRESS WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF COMMUNICATION
sgt_david_ess600@yahoo.com
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

SGT.V. ESs

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