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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: <garuskara@centrum.cz>
Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:49:54 +0200
Subject: FROM THE DESK OF DR.GARUS KARA





FROM THE DESK OF DR.GARUS KARA
=C2=A0AUDIT DEPERTMENT,
BANK OF AFRICA (BOA)
OUAGADOUGOU , BURKINA FASO .
=C2=A0
=C2=A0
=C2=A0
I AM THE HEAD OF ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT DEPARTMENT OF BANK OF AFRICA,=C2=A0 O=
UAGADOUGOU . IT IS MY UTMOST PLEASURE TO SEND YOU THIS CONFIDENTIAL MESSA=
GE. IN MY SEARCH FOR A RELIABLE BUSINESS PARTNER OVERSEAS, I GOT YOUR=C2=A0=
CONTACT IN THE INTERNET AND WAS IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PROFILE HENCE MY INT=
EREST IN DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU. IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABAND=
ONED SUM OF $20.5M US DOLLARS (TWENTY MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US D=
OLLARS) .IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DI=
ED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY ON MONDAY,31 MAY, 2000 IN A PLANE CRASH O=
UT SIDE PARIS .

PLEASE VISIT THIS SITE THAT IS ONE OF THE EVIDENCE THE DIRECTORS BROUGHT =
IN OTHER TO SWALLOW THE MONEY AT THE END OFTHEDAY,HTTP://NEWS.BBC.CO.UK/1=
/HI/WORLD/EUROPE/859479.STM

SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS NEXT=
OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CANNOT RELEASE IT UNL=
ESS=C2=A0 SOMEBODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEA=
SED AS=C2=A0 INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE LEA=
RNT 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 AND OTHER OFFICIALS IN MY DEPA=
RTMENT 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 AN=
D SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND WE DON'T WANT=
THIS=C2=A0 MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL.

THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDELINE HERE STIPULATES THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED=
UNCLAIMED AFTER EIGHT YEARS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE BANK=
TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED FUND.

THE REQUEST OF FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY=
THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER AND A BURKINA BE CANNOT STAND=
AS NEXT OF KIN TO A FOREIGNER.
WE AGREE THAT 30 % OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGN PARTNER, IN R=
ESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, 10 % WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR =
EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 60 % WOULD BE FOR ME AND MY COL=
LEAGUES.

THERE AFTER I AND MY COLLEAGUES WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT =
ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGES INDICATED.
THEREFORE TO ENABLE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOU AS ARRANGE=
D, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE BANK AS RELATIONS OR NEXT OF KIN OF THE DE=
CEASED INDICATING YOUR BANK NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE =
TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AND LOCATIO=
N WHERE IN THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.

UPON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND TO YOU BY FAX OR EMAIL THE TEXT O=
F THE APPLICATION. I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS TRAN=
SACTION IS HITCH FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY ATOM OF FEAR =
AS ALL REQUIRED ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER.

I EXPECT THAT YOU CONTACT ME AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS MAIL IF YOU WHIC=
H ME TO CONTACT YOU VIA YOUR TELEPHONE OR FAX OR PO BOX I WILL DO THAT AS=
WELL. YOU CAN AS WELL CONTACT ME VIA MY ALTERNATIVE EMAIL ADDRESS=C2=A0 =
(garus1kara@hotmail.fr) FOR FURTHER=C2=A0 INFORMATION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY=20
DR.GARUS KARA




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