If this scam is anything it is a great fake story. Designed to sound plausible and well targeted to a certain audience, this particular scam is one you should watch out for. An American soldier has access to barrels of money found in Tikrit after the fall of Saddam Hussein and wants your help to get it out. What a story!
Like most scams like this even the slightest amount of caution will show the offer to be a scam. Did you know this person? How did they get your email, and why is a soldier addressing you as ”Friend”? Serving soldiers are much more formal. The scammer also claims to be a Swiss national serving in the U.S. armed forces yet is sending you this unbelievable offer of millions from a free Yahoo email address from Hong Kong. It doesn’t add up, and it is a scam.
If you have replied to the following email scam contact your local law authorities immediately and keep all records of emails, phone bills etc that can be used as evidence against the scammer. Do not reply to the scammer again unless told to do so by the authorities.
The following has not been edited. Your particular American soldier scam may differ slightly, but it is still a scam. Do not be fooled.
Dear Friend
My name is Sgt. Jason E. Herzog, I am an American soldier with Swiss background, serving in the military with the army’s 3rd infantry division. With a very desperate need for assistance, I have summed up courage to contact you. I found your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking your kind assistance to move the sum of (US$ 25 million ) Twenty Five million united states dollars to you, as far as I can be assured that my share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here, this is no stolen money, and there are no danger involved.
Source of money:
Some money in various currencies was discovered in barrels at a farm house near one of Saddam’s old palaces in Tikrit-Iraq during a rescue operation, and it was agreed by staff Sgt.Kenneth Buff and I that some part of this money be shared among both of us before informing anybody about it since both of us saw the money first. This was quite an illegal thing to do, but I tell you what? No compensation can make up for the risk we have taken with our lives in this hell hole Of which my brother in-law was killed by a road side bomb last week.
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 British contact working here and his office enjoy some immunity, 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 a brithish/American medical doctor who died in a raid here in Iraq, and before giving up, trusted me to hand over the package to his family in united states.
I have now found a much secured way of getting the package out of Iraq to your country for you to pick up, and I will discuss this with you when I am sure that you are willing to assist me. I want you to tell me how much you will take from this money for the assistance you will give to me. One passionate appeal I will make to you is not to discuss this matter with anybody, should you have reasons to reject this offer, please and please destroy this message as any leakage of this information will be too bad or us soldier’s here in Iraq.
I do not know how long we will remain here, and i have been shot, wounded and survived two 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, i honestly want this matter to be resolved immediately, please contact me as soon as possible my only way of communication is email.
God Bless
Sgt. Jason E. Herzog.