Here is an article taken from Wikipedia about 419 scams.... please read.. then scroll to the bottom to see actual 419 scam emails that were sent to us..

 



An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain.[1] Among the variations on this type of scam are the Nigerian Letter (also called the 419 fraud, Nigerian scam, Nigerian bank scam, or Nigerian money offer[2]), the Spanish Prisoner, the black money scam as well as Russian/Ukrainian scam (also widespread, though far less popular than the former). The so-called Russian and Nigerian scams stand for wholly dissimilar organized-crime traditions; they therefore tend to use altogether different breeds of approaches.


Although similar to older scams such as the Spanish Prisoner, the modern 419 scam originated in the early 1980s as the oil-based Nigerian economy declined. Several unemployed university students first used this scam as a means of manipulating business visitors interested in shady deals in the Nigerian oil sector before targeting businessmen in the west, and later the wider population. Scammers in the early-to-mid 1990s targeted companies, sending scam messages via letter,[3] fax, or Telex.[4] The spread of e-mail and easy access to e-mail-harvesting software significantly lowered the cost of sending scam letters by using the Internet. In the 2000s, the 419 scam has spurred imitations from other locations in Africa, Philippines, Malaysia, Russia, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and the United States. In particular advanced fee fraud in the United States primarily originates from the cities of Buffalo and Detroit.

The number "419" refers to the article of the Nigerian Criminal Code (part of Chapter 38: "Obtaining Property by false pretences; Cheating") dealing with fraud.[5]


The American Dialect Society has traced the term "419 fraud" back to 1992.[6]

The advance-fee fraud is similar to a much older scam known as the Spanish Prisoner scam[7] in which the trickster tells the victim that a rich prisoner promised to share treasure with the victim in exchange for money to bribe prison guards. An older version of this scam existed by the end of 18th century, and is called "the Letter From Jerusalem" by Eugène

Embassies and other organizations warn visitors to various countries about 419. Countries in West Africa with warnings cited include Nigeria,[7][10] Ghana,[11][12] Benin,[13] Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast),[14] Togo,[15][16] Senegal[17] and Burkina Faso.[18] Countries outside West Africa with 419 warnings cited include South Africa,[16][19] Spain,[19] and the Netherlands.[20]

                                                                                                                                                    -taken from wikipedia


THIS MESSAGE IS RESPECTFULLY YOURS

        I am writing this mail to you with tears and sorrow from my heart. With due respect , trust and humanity, i appeal to you to exercise a little patience and read through my letter,  I wish to contact you personally for a long term business relationship and investment assistance in your Country so i feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business having gone through your remarkable profile, honestly i am writing this email to you with pains, tears and sorrow from my heart, i will really like to have a good relationship with you and i have a special reason why i decided to contact you, i decided to contact you due to the urgency of my situation, My name is Miss Rejoice Kipkalya Kones, 23yrs old female and I held from Kenya in East Africa. My father was the former Kenyan road Minister. Him and Assistant Minister of Home Affairs Lorna Laboso had been on board the Cessna 210, which was headed to Kericho and crashed in a remote area called Kajong'a, in western Kenya. The plane crashed on the Tuesday 10th, June, 2008.
 
 
You can read more about the crash through the below site:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/06/10/kenya.crash/index.html
 
After the burial of my father, my stepmother and uncle conspired and sold my father's property to an Italian Expert rate which the shared the money among themselves and live nothing for me. I am constrained to contact you because of the abuse I am receiving from my wicked stepmother and uncle. They planned to take away all my late father's treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Father. Meanwhile i wanted to escape to the USA but they hide away my international passport and other valuable travelling documents. Luckily they did not discover where i kept my fathers File which contains important documents. So I decided to run to the refugee camp where i am presently seeking asylum under the United Nations High Commission for the Refugee here in Ouagadougou, Republic of Burkina Faso.
 
One faithful morning, I opened my father's briefcase and found out the documents which he has deposited huge amount of money in bank in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin. I travelled to Burkina Faso to withdraw the money for a better life so that I can take care of myself and start a new life, on my arrival, the Bank Director whom I met in person told me that my father's instruction/will to the bank is that the money would only be release to me when I am married or present a trustee who will help me and invest the money overseas. I am in search of an honest and reliable person who will help me and stand as my trustee so that I will present him to the Bank for transfer of the money to his bank account overseas. I have chosen to contact you after my prayers and I believe that you will not betray my trust. But rather take me as your own sister.
 
Although, you may wonder why I am so soon revealing myself to you without knowing you, well I will say that my mind convince Ed me that you may be the true person to help me. More so, my father of blessed memory deposited the sum of (US$11.500, 000) Dollars in Bank with my name as the next of kin. However, I shall forward you with the necessary documents on confirmation of your acceptance to assist me for the transfer and statement of the fund in your country. As you will help me in an investment, and i will like to complete my studies, as i was in my 1year in the university when my beloved father died. It is my intention to compensate you with 30% of the total money for your services and the balance shall be my capital in your establishment. As soon as I receive your positive response showing your interest I will put things into action immediately. In the light of the above. I shall appreciate an urgent message indicating your ability and willingness to handle this transaction sincerely.
 
AWAITING YOUR URGENT AND POSITIVE RESPONSE, Please do keep this only to your self for now un till the bank will transfer the fund. I plead to  you not to disclose it till i come over because I am afraid of my wicked stepmother who has threatened to kill me and have the money alone ,I thank God Today that am out from my country (KENYA) but now In (Burkina Faso) where my father deposited these money with my name as the next of Kin. I have the documents for the claims.
 
Yours Sincerely
Miss Rejoice Kipkalya Kones.


And here is another one that was sent to us.....



FROM THE DESK OF MR AMUDU SMANI
AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SECTION OF
BANK OF AFRICA (B.O.A)
OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA-FASO
WEST AFRICA
 
GOOD DAY,
 
 I WISH TO KNOW IF WE CAN WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE YOU TO STAND AS THE BENEFICIARY TO A DECEASED CLIENT MR.EMMANUEL ETUKUDO WHO MADE SOME DEPOSIT  SUM OF ($3.8M) THREE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND  UNITED STATES DOLLARS IN MY DEPARTMENT IN THE BANK OF AFRICA BURKINA-FASO, WEST AFRICA BEFORE HIS DEATH.
 
 HE DIED ON THE 2ND MAY 2007 WITHOUT ANY REGISTERED NEXT OF KIN AND AS SUCH THE FUNDS NOW HAVE AN OPEN BENEFICIARY MANDATE. UPON YOUR REPLY I WILL GIVE YOU DETAILS ON HOW THE TRANSACTION WILL BE EXECUTED, AND I’AM ASSURING YOU THAT IT IS 100% RISK FREE HENCE YOU CO-OPERATE WITH ME.
 
BEST REGARDS.
MR AMUDU SMANI
Phone (+226 768-64-469)  


So more examples are to come...

SCAMBUSTERS wants you to know that we care, and want you to not become a victim to these types of scams...

for more information,, please check out what the FBI says about these scams

you can go to the page by clicking


HERE


Thank you for reading and remember, STAY SMART, STAY AWARE, AND STAY SAFE!!!

-SCAMBUSTERS


Last updated: 05-05-2011