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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: estelle bai <estellebai178@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:28:04 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: DEAREST ONE,PLEASE HELP US


DEAREST ONE,PLEASE HELP US

IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO WRITE TO YOU AFTER OUR SEVEN DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS,l AM ESTELLE.J. BAI THE WIFE OF LATE MR KONA. JUSTICE.BAI FROM REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO, I AM 43 YEARS OF AGE, MY HUSBAND OWNS A LIMITED OF COCOA AND GOLD BUSINESS IN REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO MY COUNTRY. AFTER HIS TRIP TO ABIDJAN COTE DIVIORE TO NEGOTIATE ON A COCOA AND GOLD BUSINESS HE WANTED TO INVEST IN ABIDJAN . ONE WEEK HE CAME BACK FROM HIS TRIP TO ABIDJAN HE HAD A MOTOR ACCIDENT BUT MY HUSBAND DIED AFTER TEN DAYS IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN MY COUNTRY .
IT WAS LIKE MY HUSBAND KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DIE "MAY HIS GENTLE SOUL REST IN PREFECT PEACE" . HE DISCLOSED TO ME AND MY SON THAT HE DEPOSITED THE SUM OF ($ 10,600,000) TEN MILLION SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS WITH SOME( GOLD ) INTO ONE OF THE PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN AS AFRICA ARTIFACT/ FAMILY VALUABLE, THAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR A TRUSTFUL FOREIGNER WHO WILL STAND FOR ME AND MY SON TO CLAIM THE CONSIGNMENT BEEN DEPOSITED UNDER THE CUSTODY OF THE SECURITY COMPANY AS MY HUSBAND TO HANDLE THE CONSIGNMENT.
MY HUSBAND HANDED US THE DOCUMENTS COVERING THE DEPOSIT SLIP AND THE AGREMENT SLIP TO THE CONSIGNMENT AND HE INSTRUCTED ME AND MY SON TO SEEK FOR A RELIABLE AND TRUST WORTHY PARTNER FOR OUR LIFE TIME INVESTMENT THAT IS WHY WE DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU,NOW WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN LOCATING THE SECURITY FIRM HERE IN ABIDJAN AND I HAVE CONCLUDED WITH THE SECURITY FIRM MODALITIES OF SHIPPING THE CONSIGNMENT ABROAD BECAUSE OF THE AGREEMENT MADE WITH THE SECURITY FIRM.
NOW WE ARE SOLICITING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP US CONTACT THE SECURITY FIRM AS THE FOREIGN PARTNER AND HELP US RETRIVE THE CONSIGNMENT FROM THE TOTAL REGION OF IVORY COAST TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY FACILITY WHERE THE CONSIGNMENT CAN BEEN SHIP FOR INVEST IN ANY LUCRATIVE BUSINESS IN YOUR COUNTRY BECAUSE THIS IS MY ONLY HOPE IN LIFE ,MY SON AND I HAVE PROMISED TO GRATIFY YOU WITH 10% OF THE TOTAL SUM FOR YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE.
WE WAITING ANXIOUSLY TO HEAR FROM YOU SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THE MODALITIES OF THIS TRANSACTION YOU CAN CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY FOR MORE DISCUSSION
THANKS FOR YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE
YOURS SINCERELY
ESTELLE


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