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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: "Dr.Michael Richard" <michael_richard6@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: dr.michael_richard10@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2006 08:53:43 +0000
Subject: THANKS FOR YOUR READING,HOPE TO HEARD FROM YOU.

FROM DR.MICHAEL RICHARD.
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT.
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.
BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)OUAGA-BURKINA FASO
TELEPHONE +226-76-60-94-42.
PRIVATE EMAIL (dr.michael_richard10@yahoo.com)

Dear friend,

With presumed reliance, let me introduce myself. My name is dr.Michael
Richard. I am the auditing and accounting officer of bank of Africa (boa). I
got your contact over the internet in my search for the relatives of one of
our numerous customers who died alongside with his family in an air crash
having discovered that you share the same name.

During the routine check in my branch, i discovered an abandoned sum of
forty million united states dollars,(usd$40m). In an account belonging to an
expatriate customer Mr. Frederic Aaron, a mining consultant/contractor with
one of the leading oil company in ouaga-burkina Faso before his accidental
death on Saturday 4th may 2002 in Nigeria via the ill-fated eas airline
crash. You may visit the following websites to read more about the incident.

Http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968616.stm
Http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm
Http://www.usafricaonline.com/ngrkanocrash.html

Ever since then, valuable efforts have been made to get to his people but to
no avail, as he had no known relatives and more so, he used his wife's name
as his next of kin in his account opening forms. I have been expecting his
relatives to come over to claim his money as it cannot be claimed unless
somebody applies officially for it as his next of kin as indicated in our
banking guide but no avail. Unfortunately, i discovered that his supposed
next of kin (his wife and children) died with him over the plane crash
incident.

Over the years, i decided to look for the necessary papers relating to the
deposit in order to make business out of it as the deposit was made in my
branch. Now that all papers are ready, i am asking for your assistant to
release the money to you as his relation/next of kin for safekeeping and
subsequent disbursement. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will
make any one apprehensive but i am assuring you of the security of us all as
modalities have been perfected for a swift and smooth operation. you are
being contacted because you share the same name with the deceased. Since
nobody showed up for his money and i don't want it to go back into Burkina
Faso government account as unclaimed bill when the next audit is conducted.

The banking law and guideline here stipulates that such money if remain
unclaimed, will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed effect.
The request of a foreigner to act as next of kin in this business is
occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a citizen of
Burking Faso cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. you are most
qualified in this transaction as you share the same name with the deceased.

I am ready to negotiate the mode of sharing with you. I will visit your
country for the disbursement/investing of my share according to the
percentages we shall agree upon after the successful transfer of the money
to your account. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is 100% hitch-free and there is absolutely no risk in it, having
concluded the modalities for a smooth operation and my position in the bank
guarantees its successful execution.

All i require is your honest co-operation, a guarantee of your sincerity and
capability to enable us conclude this deal. Note however that the sensitive
nature of this transaction demands that you have to keep it absolutely
confidential.

Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this letter if
you do not appreciate this proposition. And i wait to read your urgent reply
through my private emai(dr.michael_richard10@yahoo.com)

Thank you very much for your time.

Trusting to hear from you immediately,
Yours faithfully,

Best regards,
Dr..Michael Richard

_________________________________________________________________
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