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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:
Date:
Subject: CAN THIS BE A SECRET ?

URGENT ATTENTION ?

=46rom: Mr. QUATTARA KOFFI.
Director Account Department.
Citizen Bank Plc=20
Abidjan - C=C3=B4te D'Ivoire.


Hellow Dear, STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AND SECRECY.
=20
I am Mr. Quattara Koffi a staff of Citizen Bank Plc Ivory Coast ( Cote =
d=E2=80=99 Ivoire ). I am the head of the Accounts Department. I am ple=
ased to get across to you for a very urgent and confidential business p=
roposal which I believe will profit both of us after completion. I cont=
acting you after a careful thought that you might be capable of handlin=
g this top secret business transaction, which I explained below. I need=
your urgent assistance to claim and transfer the sum of ($11.500.000.0=
00.00 Million USD) immediately to your account deposited by one of late=
customers Mr.Andreas Schranner Md for years.=20
=20
Mr.Andreas Schranner Md, was a German property magnate who died long si=
de with his entire family, his wife Maria, daughter Andr=C3=A9a Erich, =
her husband Christian, and their children Katharina and Maximilian, all=
died in Plane Crash, which crashed on Monday, 25th July, 2000 by CONCO=
RDE AIRLINE [Flight AF4590], see the website below for your verificatio=
n: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/859479.stm). this fund has been d=
ormant (in-active) for years in our bank here without any body coming f=
or it and now I decided to use this as an opportunity to enrich my hear=
t desire by associating with you to claim the fund and have it transfer=
red to your account. with the new Ivorian financial laws, if the funds =
are not claimed by any one or his family relations, the money will be m=
ark as an abandoned fund and will go into Govt treasury as an abandoned=
fund, this is the reason why I have decided to contact you to negociat=
e with me to stand as the next of kin to the deceased and beneficiary o=
f the funds so that my Bank will release the fund to you as the nearest=
person as all attempts to trace his relatives were fruitless.=20
=20
My position here at my office requires me to investigate which l did an=
d discovered that Mr. Andreas Schranner did not declare any next of kin=
or relation in all his official bank deposit documents in my bank and =
according to the Ivorian financial Law, the money will revert to the ow=
nership of the Ivorian govt treasure if nobody applies to claim the fun=
d. To avoid this money being sent to the Ivorian Govt treasure account =
as unclaimed funds, I have decided to seek your quick assistance to hav=
e you stand as the next of kin so that the said fund would be released =
in your name as the next of kin and paid into your account. therefore, =
if you would be interested to handle this confidential project with me,=
I will be willing to give you more information you will file and send =
to my bank for the claims and transfer of the fund. I agreed to share =
40% for you and 55% for me and my family if you agree to help me execut=
e this business while 5% is for any the expense we may incure during th=
e transaction, so, if you are interested in this proposal, kindly reply=
me back immediately and Please I will like you to keep this proposal a=
s a top secret or delete it if you are not interested at all.
=20
Thank you and looking forward to hear from you.

Best Regards,
Mr. Quattara Koffi.=20
Account Officer.

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