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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: "Col. Ivan Todd" <info@usarmy.mil.gov.org>
Reply-To: col.ivantodd@aol.com
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2020 07:54:41 -0800
Subject: TOP SECRET: Confirmation Letter from United States of America


Dear Friend, I hope this email will find you in high spirits and good h=
ealth. Many internet swindle have been igniting the fear of doing online =
business, due to fear of dealing with the wrong person, I would like to let=
you know that this email is not one of them, can I trust you also to do th=
is business? Please I want you to read this message carefully and I will =
give you all the evidence that will show you that I am real. I am Ivan To=
dd, 45 years old, from Austin Texas, USA but I live in a military cantonmen=
t in Houston Texas, I completed a training program and a physical education=
course at Fort Bliss ordering U.S. Virginia as 2nd Lieutenant and a Protoc=
ol officer. My battles and infantry are well-trained. I have a difficult ch=
ildhood. I lost parents when I was very tender, as the only single child. I=
never knew my biological parents or any relation because my parents were n=
ationalized in the US. I was adopted by Mr. Eugene Lee Scott, and his wife =
Rose, may their soul rest in peace Amen. They also died. Moderate about t=
he peacekeeping forces deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan of Iraq. CAN YOU BE T=
RUSTED? How is your news? If you are up-to-date, you may hear world bre=
aking news in Iraq some time ago, about THE USA ARMY storming the place and=
making this invention handed OVER to the U.S. head, to this day no one is =
giving a description about it. You can read more about this here: http:=
//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2967029.stm I have to attach my images =
to prove what I am going to tell you to keep them confidential. Last time w=
e went for inspection in the terrorist hiding, we found a bag FILLED WITH U=
S DOLLAR and other currencies, my group and I returned it back to the base,=
our commander head officers, told us that they would do so reporting it to=
the right office for investigation and till date we didn't hear nothing ab=
out the money anymore, and I feel they must have shared it among themselves=
, so few days later, I went to take note of the other items in the truck fo=
und from the terrorists hiding, I noticed they have other bags right inside=
the side of their tanker truck, I say glory to my God, I took the bag, and=
hid it in a safe place, after a few more days, I decided to count the mone=
y in my room. The amount is huge, $12.6 million us dollars, I smiled and wa=
s really excited. If you assure me, honesty and sincerity, I will make pl=
ans on how to move it from Afghanistan to your address as a precious milita=
ry family, which I will get (M.N.I.F.V. T) Non Military inspection Family V=
aluable TAG with UN tag and tag on the box for delivery to avoid that open =
body. Once It has UN tag and family Non-valuable military inspection tag an=
d comes to your address. You will take $5 million US dollars and save $7.6 =
million US dollars until I get out. If you are interested and assure me o=
f your sincerity, come back to me in my personal email: col.ivantodd@aol.co=
m I await your immediate reply to allow us to continue. Yours respectfu=
lly, Colonel Ivan Todd

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