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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: MRS SABIHASAYOUBA <sabihasayouba@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:03:56 -0800
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE

Dear Friend

I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great sorrow
in my heart, My Name is Mrs Sabiha Sayouba, I am from Tunisia and I am
contacting you from a hospital in Burkina Faso, I want to tell you this
because I don't have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to
open up to you, I married to Mr. Sayouba Brown who worked with Tunisia
Ambassador in Burkina Faso for nine years before he died in the year 2011.
We were married for eleven years without a child.

He died after a brief illness that lasted for only five days. Since his
death I decided not to remarry, When my late husband was alive he deposited
the sum of US$ 8.500.000 million. (Eight Million Five hundred Thousand
Dollars) in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso in west
Africa. Presently this money is still in the bank. He made this money
available for exportation of Gold from Burkina Faso mining.

Recently, my doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven
months due to cancer and stroke problems. The one that disturbs me most is
my stroke illness. Having known my condition I decided to hand this money
over to you to take care of the less-privileged people, you will utilize
this money the way I am going to instruct herein. I want you to take 30
Percent of the total money for your personal use. While 70% of the money
you will use to build an orphanage home in my name and help the poor people
in the street. I grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family
member, just to endeavor that the house of God is maintained. Am doing this
so that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul in paradise, because
this illness has suffered me so much.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank in
Burkina Faso and I will also instruct the Bank Manager to issue you an
authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money
in the bank that is if you assure me that you will act accordingly as I
Stated herein.


With kind Regards,
Mrs Sabiha Sayouba

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