419 scam: "Monica Brown" <gerald@scottsng.com> Good day

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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:

The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "transaction is risk free" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- monica.br81@yahoo.com (Yahoo; can be used from anywhere worldwide)

Fraud email example:

From: "Monica Brown" <gerald@scottsng.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2011 21:08:43 +0100
Subject: Good day

Good day,

My name is Lt. Monica Brown I am a Civil Staff working under United States Marine Corps operating with the Engineering Military Dept unit in Baghdad, Iraq, I am presently Attached to a security company in Iraq, and I am assigned with the 1st Armored Division (Basra) in Iraq, as you know we are being attacked By insurgents on daily basis coupled with IED (Improvised explosive device) explosives we encounter almost every day. This has been responsible For the loss of US and British Soldiers more that combats confrontations.

After the fall of Saddam Hussein, We discovered various amount of funds Running into Millions of Dollars which we returned to the new Iraqi Government. However, when the situation became critical and we began to loose soldiers on daily basis, I and my colleagues decided to keep some funds we discovered and secretly deposited this fund in a Finance Company in Baghdad, Iraq Just to help our family in case we dint make it out of Iraq alive. The total amount in the Finance Company is US$6.5Million dollars in cash, all in 100 dollar bills.

You can visit the b.b.c web for clarification of this matter:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm

This is a deal which we are proposing to you to use you as a rightful beneficiary/owner of the fund as we have to change the whole documents in your name or your company name so that you can claim this fund in your name in order not for the Iraq government/U.s Government to have any trace on us due to the investigation going on. Your role is to find a safe place for the funds while our own part is make sure that the fund is sent to a secured destination where you will have no problem in either clearing or receiving the fund.

NOTE: This Transaction is risk free, and the case can be shipped out within 48hrs after we have both agreed to carry out this ventures.reply through my private email: monica.br81@yahoo.com

Respectfully yours,
Lt. Monica Brown

Anti-fraud resources:

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