419 scam: Avocat salifousigo <info.gracia@yahoo.fr> Nicolle Leijen

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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:

An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "necessary legal documents" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "huge deposit" (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)
- "million 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)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22998085269 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)
This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
- sigosalifou@yahoo.fr (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: Avocat salifousigo <info.gracia@yahoo.fr>
Reply-To: sigosalifou@yahoo.fr
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 12:33:01 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Nicolle Leijen

SALIFOU SIGO
Associations de Juristes d'Affaires
Bureau 01, B.P. 7594
Cotonou-Benin Republic
Tel: +229-98085269 Dear,Leijen Please kindly accept my apology for sending unsolicited mail to you. I believe you are a highly respected personality, considering the fact that I sourced your profile from a human resource profile database on your country. Though, I do not know to what extent you are familiar with events. Well, I am SALIFOU SIGO a Solicitor and the Personal Attorney to Late Mr.Peter Leijen, a national of your country, who used to work as the Director of Societe Nationale pour la Promotion Agricole(SONAPRA), the major national cotton production company in Benin Republic. On the 1st of Oct 2004, my client, His wife and their three Children were involved in a car accident Along express-high way. Unfortunately, they all lost their lives. Since then I have made several enquiries to your Embassy to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace
his relatives over the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence, I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the Bank here. These huge deposits were lodged particularly with the AFRICAN INVESTMENT BANK (AI B-SA), where the Deceased had an account valued at about $17.000.000.00 (Seventeen Million Dollars Only). The Bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated. Since I have been unsuccessful in Locating the relatives for over Five years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name with him so that the proceeds of this account valued about $ 17.million dollars can be paid to you and then the sharing ratio should be 50% for me and 50% for you, I have all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up with our claim
we will make with the Bank. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us seeing this Deal through and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.And the way we are going to achieve this is as follows, I will need the following information from you: Your Full Name and Address,Your Age,Occupation and Position,
Your Telephone and Mobile for Communication Purpose.
Please Contact Me To My Private Email Address; SigoSalifou@yahoo.fr
I await your reply as soon as possible.Best Regards
SALIFOU SIGO

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