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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: kabiru usman <kabiru.usman001@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 16:52:44 +0000
Subject: I NEED YOUR URGENT RESPOND PLEASE



>FROM THE DESK OF MR KABIRU USMANBILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGERFOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO. DEAR FRIEND,FIRST, I MUST SOLICIT YOUR CONFIDENT IN THIS TRANSACTION. THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF ITS NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL AND TOP SECRET. HOWEVER AFTER SERIES OF PETITION WAS RECEIVED BY THIS PRESENT REGIME FROM FOREIGN CONTRACTORS AND INABILITY OF THE BANK OF AFRICA (BOA TO FULFIL THEIR OBLIGATION FOR THE PAYMENT TO ITS FOREIGN CREDITORS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, THEY MANDATED US TO CARRY OUT A CAREFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ALL OVERDUE PAYMENTS TO FOREGN CONTRACTORS AND TO EFFECT PAYMENT IMMEDIATELY. DURING THE ABOVE MENTIONED PROCESS, I DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF US8.5M(EIGHT MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMERWHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRED FAMILY IN A PLANE CRASH I WANT YOU TO VISIT THE WEB SITE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm SINCE WE GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEING 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 AND LAWS 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 OFFICIALLY IN MY DEPARTMENT 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 DONT WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIM BILL.
I AGREE THAT 40% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, IN RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, AND 50% WOULD BE FOR ME, THEN 10% WILL BE FOR EXPENSES INCURE DURING THE TRANSACTION. THERE AFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE INDICATED.
THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGE, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATION 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 COMMUNITCATION AND LOCATION WHEREIN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED. UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY EMAIL THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION TO FILL AND SEND TO THE BANK. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS HITCH/ FREE RISK AND THIS TRANSACTION WILL ONLY TAKE US 14BANKING DAYS BECAUSE AS A BANKER, I KNOW WHAT TO DO AND MOVE THE FUND INTO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHOUT ANY DELAY
AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS ALL REQIRED ARRANGEMENT HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER SO THAT I WILL SEND YOU THE TEXT OF THE APPLICATION FORM TO APPLY TO THE BANK AND THE DATA INFORMATION OF THE DECEASED CUSTOMER. THANKS WITH BEST REGARDSMR KABIRU USMANBILL & EXCHANGE MANEGER,BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)
_________________________________________________________________
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