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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: "Mrs.Pearl Cole" <p.cole05@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: pearlcole02@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 12:43:17 -0500
Subject: Dear Friend

Dear Friend,

Greetings in the name of God,Pls let this not sound strange to you for
my only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this
year.i prayed and got you email id from your countrys chambers of
commerce which i havebeen with my late huband and liked to visit once
more if God will in his infinite mercies.

I am Mrs Mrs Pearl Cole,I am 51 years old,i am deaf and suffering from
a long time cancer of the breast which also affected my brain,from all
indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite
obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that i may
not live for the next two months,this is because the cancer stage has
gotten to avery bad stage.

I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to my late
husband for twenty years without a child.My husband died in a fatal
motor accident.Before his death we were true Christians. Since his
death I decided not to re-marry,I sold all my inherited belongings and
deposited all the sum of $18.5million dollars with a Security Company.

Presently, this money is still with them and the management just wrote
me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping
it so long or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to
receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness
or they get it confisticated.

Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been
undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my
ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few
months to live. It
is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organisation
of your choice and distributed each year among the charity
organization,the poor and the motherless babies home where i come
from.I want you God fearing, to also use this money to fund churches,
orphanages and widows.

I took this decision, before i rest in peace because my time will soon
be up. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of
th Security Company.I will also issue you a letter of authority that
will prove you as the new beneficiary of my fund. Please assure me that
you will act accordingly as I stated herein. Hoping to hearing from you
soon.
Waiting for
your reply.

Yours in Christ,
Mrs Pearl Cole.


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