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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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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: Edward Hunt <edwardhunt591@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 20:14:15 +0100
Subject: HELLO


FROM THE DESK OF:
Edward Hunt

My name is Edward Hunt , I am the credit manager in a bank here in the United
Kingdom. I am contacting you of a business transfer, of a huge sum of money from a

deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any
one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that everything has been taken
care off, and all will be well at the end of the day. I decided to contact you due

to the urgency of this transaction.
PROPOSITION:
I am the account officer of a foreigner named Frederick Wong who died in an air
crash along with his wife (lilla wong) on the 31st October 1999 in an Egyptian

airline 990 with other passengers on board. You can confirm this from the website
below which was published by BBC WORLD NEWS. WEBSITE.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm Since his death, none of his
next-of-kin are alive to make claims for this money as his heir, because they all
died in the same accident himself and his wife(May their soul rest in peace). We

cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the
next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin

to the deceased, as all documentations will be carefully worked out by me for the
funds of $3M.(US$3,000,000.00) to be released in your favor as the beneficiary's
next of kin. Because after six years the money will be called back to the bank

treasury as unclaimed bills and the money shared amongst the directors of the bank.
so it is on this note i decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the next
of kin/beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the bank directors to share this

money amongst themselves at the end of the year.
It may interest you to know that we have secured from the probate an order of

mandamus to locate any of the deceased beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of

this message in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the
following information if you are interested.
1.A Beneficiary name..In order for me to prepare the document for transfer of the

funds in your name.
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers...For our personal contact and mutual trust in
each other. I shall be compensating you with a million dollars ($1Million dollars)
on final conclusion of this project for your assistance, while the balance $2


million dollars shall be for me for personal investment purposes. Because I intend
to retire after the conclusion of this transaction. If this proposal is acceptable
by you, please endeavor to contact me immediately. Do not take undue advantage of

the trust I have bestowed in you.Contact me through my personal email
(edwardhunt59@netscape.net) as i await your confidential response.

Regards,
Edward Hunt.

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