419 scam: "Mrs.Mariam Degeh" <mrsmariamdegeh@sify.com> PLEASE REPLY ME IMMEDIATELY.

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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:

The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "contact me immediately" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "top secret" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs.Mariam Degeh" <mrsmariamdegeh@sify.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 17:28:13 +0530 (IST)
Subject: PLEASE REPLY ME IMMEDIATELY.

Dear friend,

My name is MRS. MARIAM DEGEH; I am the manager in charge of Bill & Exchange section of Bank of Africa, (B.O.A) here in Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso.

I know this message might meet you in utmost surprise; however, it's just my urgent need for foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction.

In my department we discovered an abandoned sum $27.2 million us dollars in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer (MR. PAUL LOUIS from Paris , France) who died along with His entire family in 6th December 2003. Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because we can not release it unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased. Unfortunately I learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim.

It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you, so that the money can be release to you as the next of kin. Upon your reply I will send you full details on how the business will be executed.

Please make sure you keep this transaction as your top secret and make it confidential till we receive the fund into the account that you will provide to the Bank. Don't disclose it to any body, because the secrecy of this transaction is as well as the success of it. You should contact me immediately as soon as you receive this letter.

I am waiting to hear from you soonest.

Yours faithfully,
MRS. MARIAM DEGEH.
TEL +226 75341920

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Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam