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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: "basilb5@cantv.net" <basilb5@cantv.net>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:23:34 -0430
Subject: From Mr Bedie/Confidential

From Mr Bedie/Confidential
 
Partnership Transaction
 
My name is Basile Bedie a Banker and accountant with a prime bank here in Cote Ivoire.I am contacting you in regards to a business transfer of a large sum of money from a dormant account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day.

I am the personal accounts manager to late Mr Bob Williams, who worked with an oil servicing company here in Cote Ivoire. My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in the ill fated Kenya Airways crash in the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all passengers on board died. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been unsuccessful.After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace over the internet,to see if I could locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.

Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank here in our country Cote Diviore, where the deceased has an account valued at about $16. million US dollars.(sixteen million dollars)Since his death, nobody has come forward to lay claims to this money and recently my bank issued a notice that the account will be declared unserviceable and the funds called to the government treasury since no relative of the deceased came up.
 
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives over last 6 years , I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at about $16. million US dollars can be paid to you and then you and I will divide the money.
 
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal throughI guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. In your reply, I want you to give me your
Full names,
Address,
Occupation,
Telephone and Fax numbers.
 
These information will enable me work on the account faile so that you can now apply for the release of the funds as the next of kin to the account.If you can handle this with me, reach me immediately for more details.

Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Basile Bedie

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