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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: "Steven Percival" <stevenpercival10@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: stevenpercival11@myway.com
Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:13:34 +0000
Subject: VERY URGENT

MR.STEVEN PERCIVAL
Vice President, Custody and Clearing
HSBC Bank plc
8 Canada Square, Level 24
London E14 5HQ
EMAIL= stevenperciva2@katamail.com


Through some discreet search from my local chambers of commerce, you and
your organization were revealed as being quite astute in Entrepreneurship.
One has no doubt in your ability to handle an international business of
considerable TRUST, which may form the bedrock of an extensive business
partnership in the future.

Proposition:

Presently in my bank here in the UK we have an estate, which has remained
unclaimed since 1999. And the estate will be converted to UNCLAIMED DEPOSIT
and therefore forfeited if nobody comes forward to lay claim to the deposit
before the end of this financial quarter, as is the practice and also
indicated in the European Union banking guidelines. It may interest you to
know that we have secured from the probate registry of the Supreme Court an
order of mandamus to locate and transfer the rights and privileges of the
Estate to any of the account's beneficiaries. This is why I am contacting
you.

We now seek your understanding to have you stand as the Beneficiary/Next of
Kin to the deceased do not be bothered as we will carefully and legally work
out all necessary documents in your favor as the new Beneficiary/Next-of-Kin
to the Estate. I want to count on you as a person of respect and honest
disposition and hope that you will handle this transaction with all
maturity and confidentiality it deserves. In order to get the process
started, I would require that you contact me immediately by my private email
address with all necessary contact information of yourself. I have reposed
my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me.

Yours Sincerely,

Mr. Steven Percival
EMAIL= stevenperciva2@katamail.com

NOTE: If however, you are not disposed to assist, kindly delete/destroy this
email in view of the confidentiality of the proposed transaction and
interest of personalities involved.


Anti-fraud resources: