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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: "Dr.Mark Diarra" <dr.mark_diarra05@voila.fr>
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:26:19 -0800 (PST)
Subject: DIRECT INFORMATION!


FROM THE DESK OF DR. MARK DIARRA THE MANAGER AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING
DEPARTMENT,BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU-BURKINA FASO.
WEST AFRICA.
 
Dear Good Friend
 
 
I know that this message will come to you as a surprise,I
am Dr.Mark Diarra. 
 the manager of auditing and accounting department of BANK OF
AFRICA (B.O.A) here in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.I hoped that you will not
expose or betray this trust that i am about to impose on you for mutual benefit
of our families.
 
After the annual auditing of the year 2009/2nd quarter of 2009,I
discovered an abandoned/stagnant sum of $10.5m dollars (Ten Million Five Hundred
Thousand US dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer
(MR. RICHARD BURSON from Florida, U.S.A) who died along with his entire family
on November 1999 in a plane crash.For more information's about the crash you can
visit this site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/502503.stm
 
 
I don't want the money to go into our Bank treasury as an abandoned
fund. So this is the reason why i contacted you so that the bank can release the
money to you as the next of kin to the deceased customer. Please I would like
you to keep this proposal as a top secret and delete it if you are not
interested.
 
Upon receipt of your reply,i will give you full details on how the
business will be executed and also note that you will have 40% of the above
mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me.Also,indicate your
willingness by filling up the following reqiurements.
 
1.NAME IN FULL

2.PRIVATE PHONE NUMBER
3.HOME ADDRESS
 
so i will like you to send to me those information's for easy and
effective communication.
Upon receipt of your reply, I will send to you by fax or email the
text of the application form.I will not fail to bring to your notice that 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. You should contact me
immediately as soon as you receive this mail.
Trusting to hear from you immediately.
 
Dr. Mark Diarra.



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