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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: nosoka@internet.lu
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 13:48:40 +0200
Subject: PLEASE MY FAMILY NEEDS YOUR HELP

Dear sir,
I am James Ike Bello the son of Late Director of Finance, Dr. ike Bello of Sierra Leone Diamond and Mining Corporation. I am contacting you from Nageria On behalf of my widowed mother Mrs, Mariam Bello wish to solicit your assistance in transferring the sum US$8,5 miilion (Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only) to your bank account. My late father diverted the above mentioned money meant for the purchase of ammunitions for my country during the peak of a disastrous war in Sierra Leone The said money was lodged in a Bank in Nageria through the help of the bank manager. After the death of my father, we wereadvised by the Bank Manager to seek the help of a Foreign Partner who can receive this money in our behalf for investment purposes. Now the war in Sierra Leone is over with the help of United Nations and ECOMOG soldiers, the present government of Sierra-Leone has revoked
the passport of all officers who served under the former regime and now ask Countries to expel such person at the same time freeze their account and confiscate their asset, it is on this note that I am contacting you, all I needed from you is to furnish me with your bank particulars:
1. Account name
2. Account number
3. Telphone and fax
4. Bank address, telephone and fax numbers for immediate transfer of the fund into your bank account.
I am compensating you with 20% of the total amount, now all my hope is banked on you and I really wants to invest this money in your country, were there is stability of Government, political and economic welfare. Honestly I want you to believe that, this transaction is real and never a joke. The photocopy of the Certificate of Deposit issued to my late father by the bank on the date of deposit is still intact with us, for you to be clarified because, I do not expose my self to anybody I see, I believed that you will be able to keep this transaction secret for me
because this money is the hope of our life, hope you understand. Please contact me
immediately you have gone through this mail, fell free and make it urgent. That is the reason why I offered you 20% of the total amount. N/B: As soon as this money is transferred to your account, I shall make arrangements to come to your country with my mother for you to advice
us on a profitable business that we can be able to invest this money because I believe you know more that us. Transferring of this money to your account can take only four (4) working days. As soon as we hear from you, we are going to commence action towards transferring this money to your bank account. Further information and arrangements will commence as soon as trust, confidence and good relationship are established. I shall be most grateful and appreciative if you could maintain the confidentiality in this matter even if you don’t want to assist us. Looking forward for your respond jamesikefamily@yahoo.co.uk

Yours faithfully,
paster james Ike
jamesikefamily@yahoo.co.uk

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