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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. David Mobutu" <22m@handbag.com>
Reply-To: dd2004_m1@yahoo.ca
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 10:25:58 -0800
Subject: Dear Friend

Dear Friend
It's my pleasure to send you this mail, which I hope you will treat as
highly
confidential. My name is David
mobutu Seseseko, son of the late President Mobutu Seseseko of Zaire,
new
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). There is war going on in my country
and so my mother and I escaped to South Africa. Due to the present
crises,
it is not safe to put any investment in my country and besides most of
my
father's properties and account have been seized by the government of
Laurent
Kabila.

Now, I want to set up Viable Business Ventures, which i hope you will
advise
me on. I sincerely have the sum of US$11.2 million (eleven million two
hundred
United States Dollars) set aside for this project, but I would not want
my name or family's name to be used. My father deposited this money
with
a financial security company in South Africa called RICHARDSON &
PARTNERS
FINANCIAL LIMITED. Arrangement have been concluded with this financial
&
security company to package the funds in a consignment to enable us
take
it to the United States with the help of a trusted Diplomat who will
not
know the context of the consignment as it is termed to contain precious
African items, but just to enable the consignment have diplomatic
immunity
so that it will not be opened by the customs.

I am prepared to offer you 40% of the total sum if you assist me in
receiving
the consignment containing the funds from the diplomat when he arrives
U.S
and hold in trust for me pending my arrival to meet with you in the
United
States. I will give you the name of the diplomat and the day he will be
coming with the consignment when you indicate your interest.
Please we need to act fast because all the modalities have been put in
place
awaiting an interested, honest individual to help me.
Thanking you in advance in anticipation of your willingness to help.

Best regards,

Mr. David Mobutu




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