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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: "mashal afraah" <mashal_afraah74@biz.by>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:40:01 +0000
Subject: Please read very carefuly from


*Please read very carefuly from
Brother Mashal afraah
The chief Auditor Incharge, F.R.U.
African Development Bank (ADB).
Ouagadougou Burkina-faso West Africa.

I will appreciate your urgent response to my email and i assure you that
this transfer will surely improve our lives and those around us.

I am Mr. Hiram Mahmood, I work in the International Operation Department of
a prime bank here in Ouagadougou Burkina-Faso. I believe and feel quite safe
revealing this important business and will be glad to execute it with you. *

*My assurance to you is that,this transaction is 100% risk and trouble free
to both parties. I am only contacting you who is a foreigner because my bank
is going to welcome you as a foreigner that has correct information about
the account as i will fornish to you before we proceed.*
**
*I got your mail contact from the International directory and will be glad
to do this business with you. for more information and proper understanding
about the deceased person, contact me and i will give you full details about
the whole process.

During my last momentary auditing, i discovered that this man holds an
account in my bank which he left no beneficiary.

My investigation proved to me as well that his company and family does not
know anything about this very account. The tranferable amount is Nineteen
Million Three Hundred Thousand United State Dollars and I want this fund to
be transfered into a safe Foreign Account abroad. So i need your full
co-operation to make this work fine.

If you are capable of handling such an amount in strict confidence and trust
we will achieve this total fund. I will also use my position to influence
and affect legal approvals for immediate onward transfer of this fund into
your account with appropriate clearance from the ministries and foreign
exchange department.

As soon as the transfer is concluded,
you are entitled to 39% out of the total funds. Please reply me with the
address bellow.

Sincerely Yours,
mr Mashal afraah.**Auditor
Tell : 00226 70437606
Private Email: mashal_afraah5@yahoo.fr*

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