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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: "baruwa bako" <baruwa_bako44@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: baruwa_bako@myway.com
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:19:37 +0200
Subject: PLEASE VERY URGENT.

FROM THE DESK OF MR,BARUWA_BAKO
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A) OUAGADOUGOU,
BURKINA FASO WEST AFRICA.
PHONE CONTACT 00226.78.89.77.34


DEAR FRIEND,

I know you may be surprise to recieve this e-mail ; I got your contact
address from the internet while I was searching for my friend that has
similar name with you.
I am the manager of bill and exchange BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A) at foreign
remittance department.
There is a business I would want you to champion for me, in my department I
discovered an abandoned sum of ($31.500.000 U.S) thirty one million five
hundred thousands US dollars)

In an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer who died along
with his entire family on 25TH JULY, 2000 CONCORDE PLANE CRASH [Flight
AF4590] with the whole passenger’s aboard. The name of the deceased man was

(MR.ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich Germany)
N.B. In other for you to believe me honestly, visit the web site to enable
you know whether we can work together, below is the website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

You have to understand that I come crossed this huge amount of money when I
was arranging the departmental customers file to submit to the bank
management for the annual audit of the year.
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of
kin to come over and 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's or relation died alongside with him at the plane
crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business
proposal to you and release the money to you as the 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 Bill.

The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained
unclaimed after some years, the money will be transferred 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 Burkina citizen cannot
stand as next of kin to a foreigner.

In fact I could have done this deal alone but because of my position in this
country as a civil servant (A Banker), we are not allowed to operate any
foreign account and would eventually raise an eye brow on my side during the
time of transfer because I work in the same bank. This is the actual reason
why it will require a second party or fellow who will forward claims as the
next of kin to the Bank and also present a foreign account where he will
need the money to be re-transferred into on his request as it may be after
due verification and clarification by the correspondent branch of the bank
where the whole money will be remitted from to your own designation bank
account.

I don’t want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill, I
agree that 30 % of this money will be for you as foreign partner, in respect
to the provision of a foreign account, 10 % will be set aside for expenses
incurred during the business and 60 % would be for me. There after I will
visit your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated.
Therefore to enable immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you
must apply first to the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased
indicating your bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone
and fax number for easy and effective communication and location where in
the money will be remitted.

All modalities of this transaction have been carefully worked out and once
started will not take more than fourteen (14) working days, with your full
support.
This transaction is 100% risk free. it involve no any implication and no any
precaution there after.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of
the application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this
transaction is hitch free and that you should not entertain any atom of fear
as all required arrangements have been made for the transfer.

You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter
reply to thi box. at;

Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Yours faithfully,
Mr,baruwa_bako
Bill and exchange manager,
BANK OF AFRICA

_________________________________________________________________
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