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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: "FRANK WILLIAM TAYLOR" <frank_william021@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:27:47 +0800
Subject: ATT: ATTENTION: MASSAGE

DEAR FRIEND,

WITH A VERY DESPERATE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE, I HAVE SUMMED UP COURAGE TO
CONTACT YOU. I AM PRESENTLY WORKING IN IRAQ WITH AN INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION THAT I WILL DISCLOSE LATER TO YOU; I FOUND YOUR CONTACT
PARTICULARS IN AN ADDRESS JOURNAL. I AM SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE TO EVACUATE
THE SUM OF $15m TO YOUR COUNTRY OR ANY OTHER SAFE COUNTRY OF YOUR CHOICE,
AS FAR AS I CAN BE ASSURED THAT MY SHARE WILL BE SAFE IN YOUR CARE
UNTIL I COMPLETE MY SERVICE HERE. THIS IS NO STOLEN MONEY, AND THERE ARE NO
DANGERS INVOLVED.

SOURCE OF MONEY:
SOME MONEY IN VARIOUS CURRENCIES WAS DISCOVERED CONCEALED IN BARRELS
WITH PILES OF WEAPONS AND AMMUNITIONS AT A LOCATION NEAR ONE OF
SADDAM' SOLD PALACES DURING A RESCUE OPERATION, AND IT WAS AGREED BY ALL
PARTY
PRESENT THAT THE MONEY BE SHARED AMONGST US, THIS WAS QUITE AN ILLEGAL
THING TO DO, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT? NO COMPENSATION CAN MAKE UP FOR THE
RISKS WE HAVE TAKEN WITH OUR LIVES IN THIS HELL HOLE.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 GERMAN CONTACT WORKING HERE,AND HIS
OFFICE ENJOYS SOME IMMUNITY WITH THE UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION, I WAS
ABLE TO GET THE PACKAGE OUT TO A SAFE LOCATION ENTIRELY OUT OF TROUBLE
SPOT.

THOUGH HE DOES NOT KNOW THE REAL CONTENTS OF THE PACKAGE, AND BELIEVES
THAT IT BELONGS TO AN ASIAN AMERICAN WHO DIED IN AN AIR RAID, AND
BEFORE GIVING UP, TRUSTED ME TO HAND OVER THE PACKAGE TO HIS BUSINESS
ASSOCIATE.I HAVE NOW FOUND A SECURED WAY OF GETTING THE PACKAGE OUT TO A
SAFER COUNTRY THROUGH DIPLOMATIC COURIER MEANS FOR YOU TO PICK IT UP, AND
WILL DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU WHEN I AM SURE THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSIST
ME.ONE PASSIONATE APPEAL I WILL MAKE TO YOU IS NOT TO DISCUSS THIS
MATTER WITH A THIRD PARTY, SHOULD YOU HAVE REASONS TO REJECT THIS OFFER,
PLEASE DESTROY THIS MAIL AS ANY LEAKAGE OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE TOO
BAD FOR US.

I DO NOT KNOW FOR HOW LONG WE WILL REMAIN HERE, AND I HAVE SURVIVED 2
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 THROUGH MY EMAIL SO WE CAN DISCUSS MORE.


RESPECTFULLY,

SGT.FRANK WILLIAM
FROM IRAQ.

_________________________________________________________________
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