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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: peter cross <sgtpetercross32@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:28:27 +0100
Subject: READ MY MAIL AND GET RICH


READ MY MAIL AND GET RICH AND REPLY ME TO sgt_peter_cross2009@yahoo.com.hkHOW ARE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? HOPE ALL IS WELL.MY NAME IS (SGT 1ST CLASS) PETER CROSS ; I AM ANAMERICAN SOLDIER, SERVING IN THE MILITARY WITH THEARMYS 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION. WITH A VERY DESPERATENEED FOR ASSISTANCE, I HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE TOCONTACT YOU.I FOUND YOUR CONTACT PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESSJOURNAL. I AM SEEKING YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE TO MOVE THESUM OF ($8 MILLION U.S. DOLLARS) EIGHT MILLION UNITEDSTATES DOLLARS TO YOU IN UNITED STATES, AS FAR AS ICAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CAREUNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE.SOURCE OF MONEY:SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WERE DISCOVERED INBARRELS AT A FARMHOUSE NEAR ONE OF SADDAMS OLDPALACES IN TIKRIT-IRAQ DURING A RESCUE OPERATION, ANDIT WAS AGREED BY STAFF SGT KENNETH BUFF AND I THATSOME PART OF THIS MONEY BE SHARED AMONG BOTH OF USBEFORE INFORMING ANYBODY ABOUT IT SINCE BOTH OF US SAWTHE MONEY FIRST. THIS WAS QUITE AN ILLEGAL THING TODO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT? NO COMPENSATION CAN MAKE UPFOR THE RISK WE HAVE TAKEN WITH OUR LIVES IN THIS HELLHOLE. OF WHICH MY BROTHER IN-LAW WAS KILLED BY A ROADSIDE BOMB LAST TIME. and you can read this web site to see what i am talking about .http://www.right-thoughts.us/index.php/weblog/comments/the_first_thing_you_know_ol_saddams_a_millionaire/http://www.jonathanforeman.com/military/nyp_iraq/04192003_chest.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A35080-2003Apr24?THE ABOVE FIGURE WAS GIVEN TO ME AS MY SHARE, AND TOCONCEAL THIS KIND OF MONEY BECAME A PROBLEM FOR ME, SOWITH THE HELP OF A BRITHISH CONTACT WORKING HERE, ANDHIS OFFICE ENJOY SOME IMMUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THEPACKAGE OUT TO A SAFE LOCATION ENTIRELY OUT OF TROUBLESPOT. HE DOES NOT KNOW THE REAL CONTENTS OF THEPACKAGE, AND BELIEVES THAT IT BELONGS TO ABRITHISH /AMERICAN MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO DIED IN A RAIDHERE IN IRAQ, AND BEFORE GIVING UP, TRUSTED ME TO HANDOVER THE PACKAGE TO HIS FAMILY IN UNITED STATES. IHAVE NOW FOUND A VERY SECURED WAY OF GETTING THEPACKAGE OUT OF IRAQ TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR YOU TO PICKUP, AND I WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU WHEN I AM SURETHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST ME, AND I BELIEVE THATMY MONEY WILL BE WELL SECURED IN YOUR HAND BECAUSE YOUHAVE FEAR OF GOD.I WANT YOU TO TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU WILL TAKE FROM THISMONEY FOR THE ASSISTANCE YOU WILL GIVE TO ME. ONEPASSIONATE APPEAL I WILL MAKE TO YOU IS NOT TO DISCUSSTHIS MATTER WITH ANYBODY, SHOULD YOU HAVE REASONS TOREJECT THIS OFFER, PLEASE AND PLEASE DESTROY THISMESSAGE AS ANY LEAKAGE OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TOOBAD FOR US SOLDIERS HERE IN IRAQ. I DO NOT KNOW HOWLONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE, AND I HAVE BEEN SHOT,WOUNDED AND SURVIVED TWO SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS BY THESPECIAL GRACE OF GOD, THIS AND OTHER REASONS I WILLMENTION LATER HAS PROMPTED ME TO REACH OUT FOR HELP, IHONESTLY WANT THIS MATTER TO BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY,PLEASE CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITH MY PRIVATEE-MAIL ADDRESS WHICH IS MY ONLY WAY OF COMMUNICATIONsgt_peter_cross2009@yahoo.com.hkGOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.SGT PETER CROSS
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