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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: "Mr. Bationo Bassama" <mrbationobassama01363@msn.com>
Reply-To: mrbationobassama22@yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 13:24:03 +0000
Subject: I await your urgent communication.

FROM THE DESK OF MR. BATIONO BASSAMA.
THE SENIOR AUDITOR IN CHARGE FOREIGN
REMITTANCE UNIT, BANK OF AFRICA (BOA).
OUAGADOUGOU BURKINA FASO.
 
Dear Friend,
 
Good Day,
 
I know that this message will come to you as a surprise. I am Mr. Bationo Bassama, "THE CHIEF AUDITOR IN CHARGE OF THE FOREIGN REMITTANCE UNIT here in Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. I hope that you will not expose or betray this trust that I am about to repose on you for the mutual benefit of our both families.
 
I need your urgent assistance in transferring the sum of (us$14.3m) Fourteen Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars to your account within 14 banking days. This money has been dormant for years in our bank without claim. I want the bank to release / transfer the money to your account over there as the nearest person to the deceased customer, the owner (the deceased customer) of the account died along with his supposed next of kin in an air crash since 2003.
 
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 / transfer 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 45% of the above mentioned sum if you agree to handle this business with me and 55% will be for me.
 
I await your urgent communication.
 
Best regards,
Mr. Bationo Bassama.
 

Anti-fraud resources: