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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: "Bakary Sherif" <bakary.sherif@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 23:13:04 +0000
Subject: pls note

Dear Sir,

Request for Confidential Business Relationship

First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction. I am a high
placed official working with the Ministry of Finance, here in Banjul,
Gambia, WestAfrica. my Department (the Treasury Department) runs into
several thousand millions of dollars monthly.

Myself and three other colleagues in this department are currently inneed of
a silent foreign partner whose bank account we can use to transfer the sum
of Eighteen Million Five Hundred Thousand U.S.dollars(us$18,500,000.00).
This fund accrued legitimately (butdiscretely) to us as commission from
foreign contracts, though our private connections. The fund is presently
waiting to be remitted by our offshore funds managers to any foreign
beneficiary submitted by us to them as the receiver of the fund.
However, by virtue of our positions as civil servants in our country, we
cannot acquire this money in our names. Because as high placed civil
servants, we are not allowed by the civil service code of conduct to own or
operate bank accounts outside of our shores. On the other hand, it is not
safe for us to keep the money here due to our unstable political
environment.

I have been delegated as a matter of trust by my colleagues, to look for an
overseas silent partner in whose account we would
transfertheus$18,500,000.00 for mutual benefit, hence the reason for this
email. What I am requesting from you is: (1) To be our silent partner and
receive the funds in your account in trust. (2) Provide a bank account under
your control to which the funds will be remitted.(3)Receive the funds in
your account, take out your commission and keep the rest of the money until
I arrive there to meet you after the transfer is completed.

Our proposal is that after you receive the funds, it would be shared as
follows: (1) 20% to you as commission, while the remaining 80% belongs to
myself and the two colleagues here. You will be free to take out
yourcommission immediately after the funds hit
your account. Since our objective is to invest themoney in a foreign
country, it would be appreciated if you can also help us to invest our own
money into
profitable ventures in your country.

However, this is optional, and should it not be convenient for you to
further assist us with investing the money, we can end our cooperation after
you hand over to us our percentage of the money.

The transaction, although discrete,is lgitimate and the money will be
transferred to your account with all necessary back-up documents showing
legitimate source/origin of fund. The transfer will be effected to your
account within seven (7) working day as soon as we reach an agreement and
you furnish me with a suitable bank account for receiving the money.

I plead with you on one issue, whether you are interested or not, kindly do
not expose this information to any one else.

I confirm that the transaction is legitimate and
without any risks either to ourselves or yourself.

please, give me your response immediately by return
mail while keeping everything confidential.

yours faithfully,

Tuna Kareem.
PS: Reply to my private email address:
bakary_sherif@yahoo.com


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