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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.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "DR.benson Komani" <dr.bensonkomani@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: bensonkomani@ny.com
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2006 08:15:21 +0000
Subject: COMPLIMENT

Greetings,

You may be surprised to receive my letter. However, I got your contact as a
result of my desperate desire for assistance. Though this mail is
unsolicited, I pray you to be humane and consider it. I have decided to
contact you for confidential, urgent and rewarding joint business.

My name is BENSON KOMANI, I was a Personal Assistant to the Late Democratic
Republic Of Congo President; LAURENT KABILA, who was assassinated. I am sure
you must be aware that his son, Joseph Kabila was sworn in as president.
This news which was reported by most international media including CNN as
you can see herein:

<http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/01/26/congo.kabila/>

<http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/01/16/congo.coup.04/>

I am passionately contacting you based on the need for a trusted and honest
person, who I can entrust with the sum of US$12,800,000 (Twelve million,
eight hundred thousand US Dollars).

Source of the money:

The late president and I secured this money in a security firm, in my name
before his death. Now that he is late, I want to transfer the money out of
the security company because of the insecurity of the money, for investment
in your country. I cannot travel out of where i am now, the country where I
am presently on asylum as I have not got travel documents to do that for
now, 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: 25% for you,
and 75% for me.

I have all the title documents to the fund, which I can transfer to you to
enable you have assess to the money. Be assured that this is risk-free and
legitimate. Please advise me on your position immediately and take note that
I want this kept very confidential as I do not want anyone to know about my
where about and the trace of the funds.

I await your prompt response, as I may be able to access my mails regularly.
I have an experienced lawyer who will undertake the legal procedure for the
transfer of the money to you.

Regards.

BENSON KOMANI


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