419 scam: "Sgt. Donald Jones Derek"<njsgt.donald@yahoo.com> HAPPY WEEKEND

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us 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)
- ",000,000" (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)
- "00,000.00" (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)
- "10% will be kept aside for expenses" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "can i trust you?" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "there is no risk involved" (almost true for the criminal trying to scam you - arrests of online criminals are rare)
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Sgt. Donald Jones Derek" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <jsgt.donald@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 16:20:34 +0900
Subject: HAPPY WEEKEND

Dear Friend
Good day to you, My name is Sgt. Donald Jones Derek. I am an American soldier, serving in the military with the Third infantry Division in Iraq. I and my superior moved funds belonging to Saddam Hussein, the total is $25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five million US dollars) this money is being kept safe in a secured location. You can go to this web link to read about events that took place here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm

Basically since we are working for the government we cannot keep these funds, we have decided to look for someone to help us keep this funds this is why I have contacted you, so you can keep it for us in your safe account or an offshore account.
We will divide the total funds in three ways, since we are three involved in this. You will take 30%, and 30% will be for me, and my superior will take 30%. 10% will be kept aside for expenses. This business is confidential, and it should not be discussed with anyone.

There is no risk involved whatsoever. If you are interested I will send you the full details, my job is to find a good partner that we can trust and that will assist us. Can I trust you? To ensure confidentiality, when you receive this letter, kindly reply me via e-mail signifying your interest including your confidential telephone/fax numbers for quick communication and also your contact details. This business is risk free.

regards,
Sgt. Donald Jones Derek

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam