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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: "Mr. Nicole Wright" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrnicolewright@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 15 May 2012 22:50:18 +0100
Subject: From: Mr. Nicole Wright

Wright & Co.
International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Road
Johannesburg, South Africa

Attention!

With the warmest of hearts, I offer my friendship, greetings and I hope this email meets
you in good time and spirit. However strange or surprising this email might seem to you,
as we have not met personally or had any dealings in the past, I humbly ask that you
take due consideration of its importance and immense benefit.

I duly apologize for infringing on your privacy, if this contact is not acceptable to you.

My client who is a contractor who died alongside with his entire family five years ago, when travelling on holiday leaving the sum of $25,500,000.00 (Twenty Five Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) only in his account here in South Africa.

Your last name happens to be the same last name with the deceased, which is the main reason I am contacting you. I would like to present you to the Bank as the beneficiary to the fund in question.

The Bank so far, has written me a letter of claim regarding the fund but i cannot front
myself to make a claim.

As his lawyer, I have decided to contact you because I want to present you as the Next of Kin to the deceased since you are a foreigner.

I have already worked out all the modality to execute the transfer, hence I seek your consent if interested, let me know your stance to enable me send you
more detail of this proposition.

I look forward to hear from you.

Yours sincerely,
Nicole Wright

Anti-fraud resources: