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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: "Thomas Okiki" <thomas.okik@yahoo.es> (may be fake)
Reply-To: thomas.okiki@yahoo.es
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2008 04:17:55 +0000
Subject: Routine Notification

Dear Business Partner,




My name is Thomas Okiki, the Chairman of Independent Committee on
Unclaimed Foreign Funds (I.C.U.F.F),Senegal ICUFF is charged with the
responsibility of finding foreign bank accounts abbroad belonging to
our late citizens which have remained dormant/unclaimed over the
years.It may interest you to know that In 2006, A list of dormant
accounts originally owned by our citizens was and sent to our country's
government.Some of these dormant accounts belonged to our late citizens
of Senegal.



The continuing efforts of the Independent Committee on Unclaimed
Foreign Funds (I.C.U.F.F) has since resulted in the discovery of
additional dormant accounts,securities accounts, safe deposit boxes,
custody accounts,non interest bearing accounts. A routine notification
has been sent from a security firm abroad to my office to make available
the beneficiary for the claim of US$12.5 million belonging to
one of our late citizens .


The depositor died several years back leaving no possible records for
trace of heirs.I need a foreign partner to ASSIST claim this deposit as
the beneficiary.You will be required to provide me with your details
for the processing of the necessary legal,and administrative claim
documents or our claim in the Security company abroad.Provide me with your full
name,address, and telephone/fax.


SEEING IS BELIEVING.THERE IS NO RISK INVOLVED.YOUR MAXIMUM
COOPERATION NEEDED. I am pledging to give you some percentage of the
total value of the said deposit for your assistance . I want you to
immediately contact me and I will furnish you with more information
about the process of transfer to you.


Thank you for your prompt response.
Thomas Okiki.

N.B:Please respond with your full names, address, phone and fax numbers
for the immediate start up of this transaction. Do note that who you
are does not matter and you will be better informed when I hear from
you.




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