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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: "ALHAJI. DAN DANJUM" <danjuma6060_dan@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: dan6060_danjuma@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 14:47:46 +0000
Subject: YOUR URGENT RPLY,

From The Desk Of Dan Danjuma
Foreign Exchange Dept,
Union Bank of Nigeria
40, Marina, Lagos
West Africa.

PLANE CRASH WEB SITE: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/index.html

Confidential Money Transfer Proposal to help the poor and needy
I am (Dan Danjuma) a senior staff in filing department in Union Bank of Nigeria.
I am searching for a capable and reliable foreign partner to champion this businees opportunity as I have prayed to God about you. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$14.8 million (Fourteen million, Eight Hundred U.S. Dollars), in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer, Engr. Idris Hussein who died along with his entire family on (Friday, December 26, 2003) in a plane crash.
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over to claim his money because we cannot release it unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines, but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I and one official in my department now decided to make this businness proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement (primarily to help the poor and the needy) since nobody is coming for it and we dont want this money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill.
The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclamed after five years, the money will be transfered into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner, and a Nigrian cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
We are looking for a trust worthy foreigner to stand as the next of kin to the deceased and beneficiary to the Special Fixed Deposit Account. If this money is not claimed now, it will go into the banks treasury as unclaimed fund and our greedy directors will divert it for their selfish use. But we can claim the money and use a reasonable percentage of the fund to help the poor and the needy.
Every document to affect this transfer of the fund will be in accordance with the banking laws and guidelines, so you need not worry or fear about this. We will use normal banking procedure and legal means to transfer the fund within 14 working days. I therefore, request your absolute secrecy and confidentiality. You have to assure me that you will not disappoint whatsoever, after the fund is successfully transfered.
30% of the total money will be for you, 40% will be for the poor and needy while 30% will be for us here. I will send you the Transfer Procedure and requirements if you are capable and indicate your interest by replying this mail, through my alternative mail address:danjuma5050_dan@yahoo.co.uk
Thanks in advance for your anticipated assistance and co-operation.
Your's faithfully,
Dan Danjuma


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