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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: "DANKWOBE" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <allhibrahim@sify.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:11:42 -0800
Subject: Attention Beneficiary

Attention: Beneficiary,
 
This is to notify you of your over due contract/inheritance/ Lottery payment from the Federal Government of Nigeria has finally been approved after our yesterday Board of Directors meeting with Central Bank of Nigeria, the Senate Committee in charge of all Foreign Debts and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
 
It was concluded and stamped that all foreign debts must to be completed at this first quarter payment of the year 2010 and any payment that could not be made to the beneficiaries at this time must to be waived out from our record.
 
The only approved method of payment is via ATM Master Card and the beneficiaries are expected to come over to our ministry for the collection of their ATM Card or bear the cost of courier dispatch to their address.
 
Congratulations, your name has been selected among the first batch payment of this year 2010 and it was approved to pay you the total sum of $3 .5M (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) and the amount has been credited into your ATM Master Card ready for your pickup.
 
Therefore, you are advised quickly to inform us on when you will be visiting our bank here in Nigeria for the collection of your ATM Master Card and Pin Code Number?
You are expected to come to our head office the address is stated below:
 
Block 112 Tinubu Square
Victoria Island,
Lagos, Nigeria 23401.
Office Tel: +234-1-6611398
 
Alternatively, if you cannot come down to our Bank for the collection of your ATM Card, you are therefore required to forward to us the following information where you wish to receive your ATM card via courier delivery:
 
   1. Receiving Address:
   2. Receivers Name:
   3. Contact Telephone Number:
 
Please, do call me on my direct telephone number +234-805-2270701 and reply as you read this mail to enable me facilitate the release of your ATM Master Card before closing our payment file for this new first qotar of 2010
 
Regards,
Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwobe,
Accountant General,
Federal Republic of Nigeria

Anti-fraud resources: