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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: Youssouf Yao Diallo <banqueatci@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Dec 2014 17:16:38 +0000
Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?Business_Enquiry_in_your_Country=E2=80=8F=2E_I_sent_you_a_le?=
=?UTF-8?Q?tter_last_week_and_never_your_reply_why=3F?=

Dear Friend,

My name is Mr. Youssouf Yao Diallo, I am an account officer In a
repeatable. I came to know you in my Private Search for a reliable and
reputable person to handle this confidential transaction. I write you
this proposal in good faith. I have a financial transaction that will
benefit both of us. On 2009, a Cyprus Oil consultant/Merchant with
Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (G.P.C.C) by name MR. ANTONIS
HAGGIANDREOU made a fixed deposit of Sixteen Million Eight Hundred and
Fifty Thousand United State Dollars ($16,850,000.00) in my branch.
Upon maturity, I sent a notification letter to him via his address but
got no reply. After a month, I sent a reminder and finally discovered
that Mr. ANTONIS HAGGIANDREOU is dead. He died on a ghastly motor
accident, and since then all attempts made to trace his relations were
fruitless neither has anyone shown up as his next of kin to claim his
money.

However, Our Banking laws states that, if such money remains unclaimed
for the period of six (6) years, the money will be transferred into
the bank treasury as unclaimed fund. Therefore, my proposal is that
hence nobody has showed up as a next of kin to MR. ANTONIS
HAGGIANDREOU, I will like you as a foreigner to stand in as the next
of kin to MR. ANTONIS HAGGIANDREOU to claim this fund for our mutual
benefit. Be informed that the reason for a foreigner as next of kin in
this deal is necessary given the fact that the customer was a
foreigner a local Citizen cannot stand as his next of kin.

I will give you 45% of this money for your assistance while 10% will
be set aside for expenses incurred during the execution of this deal
and 45% will be for me. Upon your acceptance, I shall provide you with
more details and relevant documents that will enable you stand firmly
as the next of kin to MR. ANTONIS HAGGIANDREOU. Should this be
acceptable to you, kindly indicate in writing and confirm the
following:

Full Name: ........................................................................
Contact Address: ..............................................................
Direct Telephone Number: ...............................................
Age: ..................................................................................
Occupation and Position: .................................................
Marriage Status: ...............................................................
Gender: .............................................................................

I want to emphasize here that this deal is free from any form of risk
from both parties as great care has been exercised in perfecting it,
and therefore, I enjoin you to approach it with an open mind and
without any fear whatsoever. As a deal, I also make haste to advice
that you should be private about it.

Best Regards,
Mr. Youssouf Yao Diallo,

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