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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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Fraud email example:

From: "ali ibrahim" <aliibrahim00003@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 11:35:15 +0000
Subject: URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL

Dear Friend.
TOP SERCRT

RE: REMITTANCE OF
US$14,000,000:00
I am the manager of
bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department of the African the
Bank Of Africa(BOA), BURKINA FASO. I am writing following the impressive
information about you. I have the assurance that you are capable and
reliable enough to champion an impending transaction. In my department, we
discovered an abandoned sum of US$14m (fourteen million US dollars), in an
account that belonged to one of our former customers who died along with his
entire family in a plane crash, in November, 2001.
Since we received the information about his death, we expected his next of
kin to come forward and claim his money, as enshrined in our banking laws
and regulations. So far nobody has come forward, and we cannot release the
funds unless someone applies as the next of kin as stipulated in our
guidelines. Unfortunately, we have discovered that all his supposed next of
kin or relations died alongside with him in the plane crash, and effectively
leaving nobody behind to come forward and claim the balance left in his
account.
My colleagues and I want to take this once in a life time opportunity.Itis
consequent upon this discovery that other officials and I in my department
decided to make this business proposal to you. We want to present you as the
next of kin or relation of the deceased person. We intend to transfer the
money into your account for safety and subsequent disbursement, since nobody
is coming forward for it. If we lose this golden opportunity, the bank is
going to return the money into the banks treasury as unclaimed.
The banks regulation stipulates that if after five years, such money
remains unclaimed; the money will be reverted to the banks treasury as
unclaimed fund. The request for a foreigner as the next of kin in this
transaction is predicated upon the fact that the said customer was a foreign
national and no citizen of this country can claim to be the next of kin of a
foreigner. We agree that 30% of the total sum we be given to you for your
assistance in facilitating this transaction. My colleagues and I are going
to retain 60% of the total sum, and 10% will be set aside for the expenses
that we may incur in facilitating the remittance. To enable us effect this
remittance, you must first apply as the next of kin of the deceased.
Your application will include your bank co-ordinates, that is, your bank
name, bank address and telex, your bank account.I want you also to
include your private telephone no. and fax no. in your response to me, for
easy and effective communication during this process. My colleagues and I
will visit your country for disbursement according to the agreed ratio, when
this transaction is concluded.
Upon the receipt of your response, I will send to you the text of an
application which you will use to apply for bank for payment to the bank.I
must not fail to bring to your notice the fact that this transaction is
hitch free, and that you should not entertain any fear, as you are
adequately protected from any form of embarrassment. Do respond to this
letter today to enable us proceed with the transaction.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Ali Ibrahim

_________________________________________________________________
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