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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "William Johnson" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wcaptijohni1@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:24:26 -0500
Subject: Your response is needed urgently

Hello Dear,
 
How are you doing today, great I guess? I hope this mail meets you
well as i know it will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, but please
kindly take your time to go through it carefully as the decision you make will
probably go a long way to the future of my business prospect with you.
 
Meanwhile let me briefly introduce myself to you as I write to you this
email with a high sense of sincerity, trust and as my confidant. I am
Captain William Johnson from the Praire State in Southern Illinois. I am a
commander of the Special N.A.T.O coalition force with the United Nation
troops in Afghanistan; we are in Afghanistan on war against terrorist and
Taliban?s operation. I am serving currently in a remote Village in Bamyan
province the bustling capital Kabul (CBC?s Doc Zone).
 
I am desperately in need of your assistance as I have summoned up courage to
contact you.I am presently in Kabul Afghan Capital and I found your contact
particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your assistance to
evacuate the sum of $18.5m to your country; as far as I can be assured that
it will be safe in your care until I complete my service here.
 
SOURCE OF MONEY: Some money in various currencies was discovered
and concealed in barrels with piles of weapons and ammunition along Kandahar, a
suburb few kilometers from Kunduz,This is one of the hideout camp where the
Taliban  terrorist group carry out their deadly operations.We got an Intel
about some Taliban members camping in Marzar Sharif. We invaded the place
and after hours of gun battle, we captured three (3) of the Taliban
terrorists members,(7) were injured during the battle and In the process
of torture they confessed they were Taliban members that worked under Abu
Baqir a Taliban sub-commander and al-Qaida group leader who was killed by
Us soldiers in an airstrike in kunduz Afghanistan's northern Province.
They took us to their cave in Marzar Sharif which also serve as their
camp, there we discovered five(5)metal boxes piled on top one another
which were locked with a padlock each.
 
While we tried to force the box open, to my greatest surprise I discovered
several guns, armor and amongst, two boxes contained bullets, one filled
with hard drugs and the other two to my amazement contained some US
Dollars which amounted to $18.5M after I and two of my colleagues counted
them for several hours. I believed that the boxes are owned or are linked
to the Al Qaeda and Adman al-Zawahiri.
 
My proposal to you is, if you are willing to help me receive the boxes (Money)
you will be entitled to 20% of this fund in the end ; Once again, I confide
strictly in you and appeal that you keep this topmost secret so that we do not
lose our lives.
 
I am aware of what your thoughts would be next but don't conclude that yet
because I am willing to guard and give you every logistics plans to follow in
order to have hitched free in this deal.I am not from any authority that
would want to set you up,just that am in urgent need of your assistance and I
assure you that this deal is 100% risk free.As far as I can be assured that my
money will be safe in your care until I complete my service here.
 
I do not know for how long I will remain here, as I have been lucky to
survive two suicide bomb attacks by Pure Divine intervention. This and other
reasons put into consideration have prompted me to reach out for help.
If it might be of interest to you then Endeavor to contact me and we
would work out the necessary formalities but I pray that you are discreet about
this mutually benefiting relationship.
 
Kindly contact me on my private email address for more details
wjohnson_jr1@yahoo.com.
 
Waiting to hear from you
 
Yours Truly
Capt.William Johnson

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