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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "hundred thousand us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • man_sankara@hotmail.fr

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:26:08 +0100
Subject: From the desk of Dr. Suleman Sankara


From the desk of Dr. Suleman=C2=A0 Sankara
Bill and Exchange Manager=20
Bank of Africa (Boa)
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Dear Sir/Madam,
=C2=A0=20
=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 I am the manager of bill and exchange at the for=
eign remittance department=C2=A0 bank of Africa , Ouagadougou burkina fas=
o. It is my utmost pleasure to send you this confidential message. In my =
search for a reliable business partner overseas, I got your contact in th=
e internet and was impressed with your profile hence my interest in doing=
business with you.=20
=C2=A0
in my department we discovered an abandoned sum of $20.5m us dollars (twe=
nty million, five hundred thousand us dollars) .in an account that belong=
s to one of our foreign customer who died along with his entire family on=
monday,31 may, 2000 in a plane crash out side Paris .=20
=C2=A0
Please visit this site that is one of the evidence the directors brought =
in other to swallow the money at the end of theday,http://news.bbc.co.uk/=
1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm=20
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 somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as=
indicated in our banking guidelines but unfortunately we learnt that all=
his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plan=
e crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.=20
=C2=A0
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 money to go into the bank treasury as unclaimed bill.=20
=C2=A0
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.=20
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.=20
=C2=A0
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 two=
colleagues in the office.=20
There after I and my colleagues will visit your country for disbursement =
according to the percentages indicated.=20
=C2=A0
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.=20
=C2=A0
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.=20
=C2=A0
I expect that you contact me as soon as you receive this mail if you whic=
h I to contact you via your telephone or fax or P O Box. I will do that a=
s well. You can as well contact me via my alternative email address (sule=
man_sankara@hotmail.fr) for further information.=20
=C2=A0
Yours Faithfully=20
Dr. Suleman=C2=A0 Sankara.
Bill and Exchange Manager=20
Bank of Africa (Boa)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam