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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: Dorso Sndwidi <dorsowidii11@gmail.com>
Reply-To: dorsosandwidi@yahoo.fr
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 18:27:54 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: Hello,


Hello,
I am Mr. Dorso Sandwidi from Burkina Faso in West African region. I work with the bank of Africa here in the nation. I am writing you from myoffice that which will be of an immense benefit to both of us. In my department, being the account manager I discovered an abandoned sum of $18million USA Dollars (Eighteen million Us Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of the bank late foreign customers, a German citizen whounfortunately lost his life in a plane crash.
The choice of contacting you is aroused from the geographical nature of where you live, particularly due to the senility of the transaction andthe confidentiality herein. Now our bank has been waiting for any of the relatives to come-up for the claim but nobody has done that. I personallyhave been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for many years now, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin / beneficiary to thedeceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at 18 Million Dollars can be done and paid to you for both of us.
This will be disbursed or shared between the both of us in these percentages, 55% to me and 35% to you while 10% will be for expenses bothparties might have incurred during the process of transferring. I have secured necessary information’s and the certificate of deposit that can beused to back up this claim we are making.
All I require now is your honest Co-operation, Confidentiality and trust to enable us sees this transaction through. I guarantee you that this willbe executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.
Having gone through a methodical search, I decided to contact you hoping that you will find this proposal interesting. Please on your confirmationof this message and indicating your interest, I will furnish you with more information.
Endeavour to let me know your decision rather than to keep me waiting orexposing me.
Regards,
Mr. Dorso Sandwidi

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