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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: "ali_ musa36" <ali_musa36@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: musan_bala002@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:17:25 +0000
Subject: URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL

FROM THE DESK OF MR ALI MUSA.

FOREIGN REMMITTANCE MANAGER (A.D.B)

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO.

DEAR SIR/ MADAM
I AM IN CHARGE OF THE FEDERAL RESERVES ACCOUNT AND AUDITING ,DURING THE
COURSE OF AUDITING SOME ACCOUNT,I DISCOVERED THAT A PATICULAR ACCOUNT HAS
BEEN LYING DORMANT FOR SOME TIME,AND THIS ACCOUNT WAS USED BY THE MILITARY
BACK IN 1998-/2000,THE TOTAL SOME IN THAT ACCOUNT IS $45.5M DOLLARS. FINALY
THE REASON WHY I CONTACTED YOU, IS THAT I DONT WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO KNOW
THAT I DISCOVERED SUCH HUGE AMOUNT IN A DORMANT ACCOUNT,PLEASE IF YOU ARE
INTERSTED TO ASSIST ME TRANSFER THE AMOUNT INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT I WILL BE
VERY GREATFULL, AND 30% OF THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE YOUR SHARE FOR MAKING THE
WHOLE THING SUCCESFUL TRANSACTION. AWAITING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOONEST
BEST REGARDS

MR ALI MUSA.

_________________________________________________________________
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