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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: "hamed usman" <hamed_usman2@latinmail.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:13:09 +0100 (CET)
Subject: ASALAMALEKU URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL.........


FROM THE DESK OF MR.HAMED USMAM
BILL AND EXCHANGE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPT.=20
BANK OF AFRICA ( BOA)=20
OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO ,=20
REPLY ME WITH EMAIL ADDRESS.
hamed_usman1@yahoo.fr

DEAR FRIEND,=20

COMPLIMENTS,=20

I AM THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE AT THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE DEPARTM=
ENT OF BANK OF AFRICA.=20

I AM WRITTING TO SEEK YOUR COPERATION OVER THIS BUSINESSDEAL.IN MY DEPA=
RTMENT, I DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF $30MILLION USD(THIRTYMILLION U=
S DOLLARS)ONLY , IN ANACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOM=
ERS WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN A PLANE CRASH THAT TOOK PL=
ACE IN KENYA,EAST AFRICA,THE LATE DR. GEORGE BRUMLEY,A CITIZEN OF ATLAN=
TA,UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BUT NATURALISED IN BURKINAFASO,WEST AFRICA =
AND CONTRACTOR WITH ECOWAS,(ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES) =
=20

SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NE=
XT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE RELEASE=
D UNLESS SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECE=
ASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES BUT UNFORTUNATELY , 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 DI=
SCOVERY THAT I NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS BUSINNESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND R=
ELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU VIA YOUR FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT AS THE NEXT OF KI=
N OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SI=
NCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND THIS MONEY COULD GO INTO THE BANK TREAS=
URY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.=20

THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINE HERE STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAIN=
ED UNCLAIMED AFTER FIVE YEARS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERED INTO THE BA=
NK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.THE REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND MAXIM=
UM CO-OPERATION AS A FOREIGN CITIZEN TO STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN IN THI=
S BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE DECEASED CUSTOMER WAS A F=
OREIGNER AND A BURKINABE CANNOT STAND AS NEXT OF KIN TO AFOREIGNER.=20

40 % OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS MY FOREIGN PARTNER,INRESPECT TO T=
HE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT. 10 %WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENCES I=
NCURED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 50 % WOULD BE FOR ME.THERE AFTER I WILL =
COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT ACCODING THE PERCENTAGES IN=
DICATED.THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRNANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU=
AS ARRANGED,YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS THE RELATION OR NEXT O=
F KIN TO THE DECEASED,INDICATING YOUR CLAIMS AND WHEREIN THE MONEY WIL=
L BE REMITTED .=20

UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR EMAIL THE TEXT=
OF APPLICATION WHICH YOU WILL FILL ANDSUBMIT TO THE OFFICE OF THE FORE=
IGN REMITTANCE DIRECTOR OF THE BANK OF AFRICA. I WILL NOT FAILTO BRING =
TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS STRICLY CONFIDENTIAL AND I WILL=
USE MY POSITION IN THIS BANK TO EFFECT A HITCH FREE TRANSFER OF THE FU=
ND.=20

YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER.=20=


TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU IMMEDIATELY.=20

PLEASE , VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATIONS=20
ABOUT THE PLANE CRASH AND THE TRAGIC DEATH OF THE DECEASED AND HIS ENTI=
RE FAMILY,=20

LATE DR. GEORGE BRUMLEY.=20

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html=20

YOURS FAITHFULLY,=20
HAMED USMAN


La carrera hacia la Casa Blanca, a un click de distancia http://www.sta=
rmedia.com/noticias/especiales/gobiernousa.html

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