419 scam: "Mr Hassan Umra" <hassan.umra1@laposte.net> Greetings to you,

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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:

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:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "will come to you as a surprise" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "waiting for your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "foreign remittance department" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr Hassan Umra" <hassan.umra1@laposte.net>
Reply-To: hassan_umra@yahoo.fr
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 15:34:18 +0800
Subject: Greetings to you,

Auditing Section in foreign remittance department
Bank Of Africa (BOA) Ouagadougou Burkina Faso.

Dear Friend,

I have picked up the trust and courage to write you this letter with divine confidence that you are a reliable and honest Person who will assist me for this important business transaction. My spirit directed me to contact you in this transaction; I never know you in my person and I would like to know you more.

I am senior Auditing Officer with this Diamond Bank in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. There is an account opened in this bank in 2000 and since 2003 nobody has operated on this account after the death of an account owner. Then after going through some old files during last year audit to verify the heir of the fund, I discovered that the customer died with his entire family.

The owner of this account died since 2003. He has no relative here and his Company has been closed and no person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no next of kin and my investigation proved to me as well that his company does not know anything about this account and the amount involved is (US$2,940,000.00) Two million Nine Hundred and Forty thousand United States Dollars. This amount I mentioned is without the interest of the money, it is the subject amount which the man deposited in this Bank Of Africa (BOA).

I want this total sum (US$2,940,000.00) Two million Nine Hundred and Forty thousand United States Dollars to be transferred into a safe foreign account abroad. I am contacting you based on the fact that you are a foreigner because this money can only be approved for payment to a foreigner. I know that this proposal will come to you as a surprise as we don't know each other before. But God is great; let us use our identity card to recognition.

I suggested that our percentage shall be 40% for you while 60% is for me as soon as you confirm the total sum into your bank account. I will come over to your country for sharing of the money.

I will be waiting for your urgent response.

Mr Hassan Umra

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam