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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: "gpolom100" <gpolom100@terra.com.mx>
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2006 06:32:23 -0600
Subject: From the desk of Mr Gilbert Polom.


From the desk of,
Mr Gilbert Polom,
internal auditd dept,
bank of africa -annex
ouagadougou, burkina faso.
E-mail:( g_p0014@yahoo.com )
Telephone: +226 7646 5059.

Dearest friend,
first i must solicit for your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly confidential .

though i know that a transaction of this magnitude, will make anyone apprehensive and worried but i am assuring you that
all will be well at the end of the deal.

i have decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction.
let me start by introducing myself properly to you.

i am mr Gilbert Polom. of the internal audit dept of the bank of africa annex here in ouagadougou, burkina faso.

the proposition, a foreigner who was an oil merchant/contractor met his death in kenya air bus (a310-30) flight ko430 that crashed in abidjan,cote d'ivoire banked with us at bank of africa annex here in burkina faso and had a closing balance as at the end of september 2000 worth u.s$3.5 million (three million five hundredthousand united states dollars)
the bank now expects a next of kin as beneficiary and valuable efforts have been made by bank of africa to get in touch with any of his family or relatives but to no success.

it is because of the perceived possibility of not being able to locate any of the late depositor next-of-kin ( he had no wife or children that is known to us).
based upon this discovery,i decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as next-of-kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it and i don't want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed funds.

the banking laws and guidelines here stipulates that, if such money remained unclaimed after sevenyears, the money will be transfered into the bank's treasury as unclaimed funds.

the request for a foreigner as next-of-kin is occassioned by the fact that,the late depositor was a foriegner and so an indigene cannot stand as the next-of-kin in order to avert this development, i now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin to the late depositor so that the fund us $3.5million will be released and paid to you as the beneficiary next-of-kin. all documents and proves to enable you get this fund will be carefully worked out on your acceptance to partake in this transaction.

my colleagues and i in my department have secured from probate an order of mandamus to locate any of the declared beneficiary (next of kin) and more so i am assuring you that this business is 100% risk free .

we have agreed to give you a percentage of the money for your assistance and rest of the money will be for my colleagues and i for investment purposes in your country under your guidance, according to agreement reached by both parties.

meanwhile your percentage share shall be 40% with respect to the provision of a foriegn account, 5% has been set aside for any expences we might incure while the remaining 55% will be for my colleagues and i.

as soon as we acknowledge receipt of your acceptance of this business proposal, i will furnish you with the necessary steps to take beginning by sending the following application which you shall forward to the bank for scrutiny and approval.

please if this is acceptable by you, do not make undue of the trust,i have bestowed my trust in you. best regards,

Mr Gilbert Polom.
internal audit dept,
bank of africa annex
ouagadougou,b.f

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