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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: "rimi idris" <rimi_idris@latinmail.com>
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:45:37 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: TREAT AS URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL.


FROM THE DESK OF MR. RIMI IDRIS.
BILL AND EXCHANGE MANAGER
BANK OF AFRICA(BOA)
OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO.

DEAR FRIEND,

I AM THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTM=
ENT OF BANK OF AFRICA(B.O.A) HERE IN OUAGADOUGOU,BURKINA FASO.=20

IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERD AN ABANDONED SUM OF$30 MILLION UNITED STA=
TE DOLLARS(THIRTY MILLION US DOLLARS IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGE TO ONE =
OF OUR FORIEGN CUSTOMER(MR ENGR. STEVEN MOORE, AUSTRALIA) WHO DIED ALON=
G WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN JULY 2003 IN A PLANE CRASH.

SINCE WE GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HI=
S NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEAS=
E IT,UNLESS SOMEBODY APPPLIES FOR THE NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DE=
CEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDLING AND LAW BUT UNFORTUNATELY W=
E LEARNT THAT HIS NEXT OF KIN DIED ALONG WITH HIM IN THE PLANE CRASH.

THE BANKING GUIDLINE HERE A RESPONSABLE PERSON, AND WHO THE BANK CAN IN=
TROSSTED THIS TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.THE RESQUEST OF FORIEGNER AS N=
EXT OF KIN IN HIS BUSINESS IS OCCASSIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER=
WAS A FOREIGNER AND A BURKINABE CANNOT STAND AS NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREI=
GNER.
I AGREE THAT 30% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A RESPECT TO THE PROV=
ISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT,10% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR ANY EXPENSES INCUR=
RED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 60% WOULD BE FOR ME, THEREAFTER, I WILL VIS=
IT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE INDICATED.=
=20

THEREFORE, TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRA=
NGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATION OR NEXT OF KIN OF TH=
E DECEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PR=
IVATE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND YOUR FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE COMMU=
NICATION AND LOCATION WHERE IN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.

UPON RECEPIT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR EMAIL THE TEXT=
OF APPLICATION.I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THIS TRANSACTIO=
N IS HITCH-FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR AS A=
LL REQUIRD ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CON=
TACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER.=20
TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.

YOUR'S FAITHFULLY,
MR. RIMI IDRIS.


Argentina vota. =A1Sigue las presidenciales! http://www.starmedia.com/n=
oticias/especiales/eleccionesargentina.html

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