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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: Dr Idema Zongo <zongo1@idema.us>
Reply-To: idemazongo1@hotmail.fr
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 05:52:09 -0800 (PST)
Subject: From Dr Idema Zongo.



Dear Friend,
A pleasant day to you
 
I am Dr Idema Zongo The auditing & account manager in BANK OF AFRICA  (B.O.A) Benin Republic in West Africa . I have urgent and very confidential business proposition for you,during my audit exercise in my department I discovered an abandoned sum of $11,300,000.00 (Eleven million Three hundred thousand United States) in an account that belongs to one of our late customers a German estate tycoon (AlBERT G HUDSON) who died along with his wife and entire family on 25th July, 2003, Air France Concorde flight 4590 plane crash. Before his death, he made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for Twenty four calendar months. Valued at US$11,300,000.00 (Eleven Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only) in my branch upon maturity. 
 
I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no reply. After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his contract employers the Elton Oil that AlBERT G HUDSON died on Air France Concorde flight 4590 plane crash. On further investigation, I found out that he died without making "WILL” and all attempts to trace his next of kin were fruitless.
 
I therefore made further investigation and discovered that he did not declare any next of kin or relations in all his official documents, including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of US$11,300,000 is still sitting in my Bank and the interest is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. No one will ever come forward to claim it. According to our banking laws in this country, at the expiration of 10 (Ten) years, the money will revert to the ownership of our Government if nobody applies to claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you to act as the next of kin to AlBERT G HUDSON. 
 
This transaction is very simple and 100% risk free, therefore I will like you to provide immediately your full name and address email and fax number and your bank Account in any part of the world, which you will provide will then facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the beneficiary/next of kin. The money will be paid into your Account for us to share in the ratio of 50% for me and 40% for you and 10% will be for expenses both parties might have incurred during the process of transferring the money. 
 
Note: If you are willing and ready to assist me in this transaction, I will want you to indicate your willingness by sending the required information below:
 
1. Your Full Name:...........................
2. Your Phone Number:...................
3. Your Age:......................................
4. Your Sex:.......................................
5. Your Occupations:.......................
6. Your Country and City:................
 
I look forward to your earliest reply by my private email below.
 
(idemazongo1@hotmail.fr)
 
Cordially yours,

Dr  Idema Zongo

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