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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: "Steven Percival" <stvpercval2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: stevenpercival444@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:35:03 +0000
Subject: UNCLAIMED DEPOSIT(STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL)

Mr. Steven Percival
Former Vice President,
Custody and Clearing
HSBC Bank plc
8 Canada Square, Level 24
London E14 5HQ
Direct Line: +44 704 011 3357
Direct Fax: +44 207 681 1190

Dear Partner,

Through some discreet search from my local chambers of
commerce, you 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 United Kingdom 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 EU 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 this email or
Telephone/Fax numbers as given above 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

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

_________________________________________________________________
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