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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: "Dorian Gardner" <info@usmil.org>
Reply-To: doriangardner91@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:53:31 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: PERSONAL


Dear Friend,

With a very desperate need for assistance,i have summed up courage to
contact you.I am a US Marine stationed here in Iraq.I found your contact
particulars in an Address journal.I am seeking your
assistance to evacuate the sum of $900,000.00 USD (Nine hundred Thousand
United States Dollars) to you,as far as i can be assured that it 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 ammunition at a location near one of Saddam's old
palaces during a rescue operation,and it was agreed by all party present
that the money be shared amongst us.Though 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,his office enjoys some immunity,and 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 an Asian American
who died in an air raid,and before giving up,trusted me to hand over the
package to his family.

There is a secured way of getting the package out to a safer country for
you to pick up,and i 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 but hopefully before the
year runs out,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.

Respectfully,

Sgt Dorian Gardner.



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