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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: "Mrs.Mariam Degeh" <mrsmariamdegeh@sify.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:45:44 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: PLEASE REPLY ME IMMEDIATELY.





FROM MRS.MARIAM DEGEH.
BILL AND
EXCHANGE MANAGER,
BANK OF
AFRICA- (BOA)
OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA
FASO. 
 
Dear Friend,

 
Attn; Please!!!

 
I am MRS. MARIAM DEGEH;
Manager of bill and exchange at the foreign remittance department of Bank of
Africa (BOA) Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso . I would like you to indicate your
interest to receive the transfer of US$27.2 Million. I will like you to stand as
the next of kin to my late client (MR. PAUL LOUIS from Paris , France ) who died
along with His entire family in 6th December 2003 in a plane crash.
 
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 unless somebody applies for 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 plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

 
The Banking law and
guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after Eight to
Nine years an above, the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as
unclaimed fund. I agree that 40 % of this money will be for you as foreign
partner in respect to the provision of a foreign account,   and while 60 %would
be for me.
 
There after I will visit
your country for disbursement according to the percentages indicated. Therefore
to enable the immediate transfer of this fund to you as arranged, you must apply
first to the bank as relations or next of kin of the deceased indicating your
bank name, your bank account number, your private telephone and fax number for
easy and effective communication and location where the money will be remitted.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the text of the
application. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is
hitch free and that you should no entertain any atom of fear as all required
arrangements have been made for the transfer. 
 
 I will not
fail to bring to your notice this transaction is hitch-free and that you should
not entertain any atom of fear as all required Arrangements have been made for
the transfer, please treat this business with utmost confidentiality and you
should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.
 
  Please make sure you
keep this transaction as your top secret and make it confidential till we
receive the fund into the account that you will provide to the Bank. Don't
disclose it to any body, because the secrecy of this transaction is as well as
the success of it. 

 

I am waiting to hear from
you urgently.
 

Yours faithfully,

 
MRS.MARIAM
DEGEH.

 
 



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