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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.

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Fraud email example:

From: "AZIZ SALAM" <salamaziz@indiatimes.com> (may be fake)
Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 14.21.10 +0200
Subject: help me please

Greetings:

You may surprise to receive my letter; however, I got your contact from the internet.
I would like to develop business relations with you by establishing a trust agreement
where you shall hold, manage, invest and distribute all assets received from me in trust
and the proceeds there from, under the terms of the trust agreement.

My name is AZIZ SALAM, I was a Personal Assistant to the Late Congo President,
LAURENT KABILA, who was assassinated on 2001 and my aim of writing to you is
because of the need for a trusted and honest person, who I can entrust the sum of
US$32,800,000 (thirty-two million, eight hundred thousand US Dollars).

SOURCE OF THE MONEY: I and the late president secured this money in a security firm abroad
in my name before his death. Now I can not travel out of SENEGAL, where I am on asylum,
hence I am asking for your assistance to have this money in your care pending when I will
secure travel documents to come over to your country.

If you accept this offer, we shall share the money as follows: For you, 20%, and 10% to cover
all our expenses and 70% for me. I have all the title documents to the fund which I can transfer
to you to enable you have access to it . Be assured that is risk-free and legitimate.

Please advise me on your position by this e-mail or azizsalam@indiatimes.com immediately.
Please I await your prompt reply.
Regards,
AZIZ SALAM.


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