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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: "Dr. Faustin A. Bernard" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <dr.faustinbernard@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 02:54:11 +0100
Subject: Dear trusting friend

Dear trusting friend,
I am Dr. Faustin A. Bernard, director of operations with the Group Bank of Africa (BOA) Littoral province Rep. of Benin. With full trust and confident, I am writing in request of your sincere assistance in putting claim over an abandoned funds worth of Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Euros (€7,500,000.00) from the bank where I am currently controlling as the director of operations.
 
The above mentioned amount was originally belonging to an international business man from your country; This man was a property consultant here in Benin Republic when he was alive.
 
According to my personal investigations concerning the deceased customer, it was clearly confirmed with full evident that the man was involved in a plane crash alongside with his wife and their only daughter On 25th December 2003 which occurred immediately after taking off at the Cotonou International airport with Boer 727 passengers plane belonging to African Transport Union (UTA). In that fatal tragedy with Beirut-bound flight, it was confirmed that 110 persons on board died instantly and Over 40 others was reported missing, while 22 passengers survived, you may confirm the tragedy through this BBC NEWS SITE; ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3353551.stm ) and since then his deposited funds in our bank has been in a long time dormant account and no one has ever come for the fund.
 
After further investigation which I did over his abandoned bank account file with us, I discovered that the dead customer was operating on a personal fixed deposit account without any recorded next of kin in his certificate of deposit to inherit his account balance.  Meanwhile and in consideration of our country's banking laws which stipulated that after the expiration of (10) Ten years, if nobody comes for the claim as the beneficiary next of kin to the deposited funds, the fund will be channel into bank treasury as unclaimed fund.
 
My proposal is this, I want to use the advantage of my position as the director of operation in the bank to officially introduce you to our bank as the beneficiary next of kin to the deceased customer and considering the fact that the dead depositor was a national of your country and was also bearing the same SURNAME with you; this will simply smooth our way to officially apply and claim the abandoned funds for us to share it between you and me instead of allowing the funds to be confiscated by the bank management or our corrupt government.
 
As soon as the money is transferred and confirmed into your own bank account, I will immediately resign from the bank and come over to your country for us to share the money in the ratio of 50% for you and 50% for me, however, I have equally planned to invest my own share of the money in your country through your help and negotiations.
 
Meanwhile I am hereby reassuring you that this transaction is 100% risk free on both sides hence you are going to follow my instruction technically until the bank transfers the said funds into your own bank account.
 
More details will be given to you immediately upon the receipt of your response.
 
Very best regards
Dr. Faustin A. Bernard
Call me on +229 973 936 59

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