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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: "Usman Diop" <usmandiop14@msn.com>
Reply-To: usmandiop85@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 02:12:01 +0000
Subject: URGENT REPLY.

Auditing,Accounting and Verifications Unit,
Foreign Operations Department,
Bank Of Africa,Dakar Senegal,
West Africa.

Compliment,
I know that this mail might come to you as a surprise,But do consider
it as an emergency. My name is Mr.Usman Diop, the auditing,accounting
& verifications manager in Bank Of Africa Dakar Senegal. I Hoped that
you will not expose or betray this trust and confident that I am about
to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families. We need
your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of($15.720m)immediately
to your bank account or you come here in our bank for cash paying into
your hands,

The money has been dormant for years in our Bank here without any body
coming for it. I want to release the money to you as the nearest person
and next of kin to our deceased customer(the owner of the account name
“Mr.Morris Thompson 61years,of fairbanks,Alaska America who died long
with his supposed next of kin on january 31st 2000 with AlaskaAirlines
flight 261.You can as well confirm it by yourself through the
understated website of the incident
http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
and if you want to know more about the man himself, you can check
http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html

I will not fail to inform you that this transaction is 100% risk free.
On smooth Conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to 30%
of the total sum as gratification,5% will be set aside to take care of
expenses that may arise during the time of transfer and also telephone
bills,while 65% will be for me.Please,you have been advised to keep
this "Top Secret" as am still in service and intend to retire from
service after i conclude this deal with you. And I assure you that this
transaction will not last more than 10 working days and you confirm
the money in your account.I need your assistance and co-operation to
get this deal done.Because as a foreigner, you stand a better position
to be presented through documentation as the next of kin/Partner
since the deceased is also a foreigner,this is the reason why I could
not do this deal alone.

All other necessary vital information will be sent to you when I hear
from you.I suggest you get back to me as soon as possible stating
your wish in this deal.I am expecting your urgent reply as soon as
you receive this message.

Regards,
Usman Diop.


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