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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: "thomas sankara" <thomas_sankara01@bolivia.com>
Reply-To: thomas_sankara56@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 11:58:40 +0000
Subject: I AM EXPECTING YOUR URGENT RESPONSE.


** <david_sankara5@yahoo.fr>
* Dear Sir,

I know that this message will come to you as a surprise. I am the Auditing
and Accounting section manager with African Development Bank, Ouagadougou
Burkina faso. I Hope that you will not expose or betray this trust and
confident that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our
both families.

I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of ($39.5)million to
your account within 10 or 14 banking days. This money has been dormant for
years in our Bank without claim.I want the bank to release the money to you
as the nearest person to our deceased customer late Mr.George Small who died
along with his supposed next of kin in an air crash since October 31st 1999.

I don't want the money to go into government treasury as an abandoned fund.
So this is the reason why I am contacting you so that the bank can release
the money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would
like you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not
interested.

Upon receipt of your reply, I will give you full details on how the business
will be executed and also note that you will have 30% of the above mentioned
sum if you agree to handle this business with me.

I am expecting your urgent response as soon as you receive my message.
you will cantact me with this E-mail:(thomas_sankara56@yahoo.com)*
**
*Best Regard.*
**
*Mr.Thomas Sankara.*

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