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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: Nicholas Willis <meetnickwillys@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:49:00 +1700
Subject: Please read and understand

My dear friend,

I expect my letter to meet you in good health and your finest mood today; my name is Mr. Nicholas Willis, Global Equity Research OBA Bank, Columbia, MD, USA.

I decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described here-under for our both mutual benefit and urge you to keep it a top secret because of the nature of this transaction. During the auditing of bank accounts in our bank, I discovered an unclaimed fund total sum of $ 10.400,000.00 (Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in an account that belongs to one of our late foreign customer (Late Mr. Stephen Richard) an American Businessman who unfortunately lost his life and family in a plane crash.

After going through his personal file in my bank, I discovered that he died without any specific heir to these funds. I gladly seek your consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account valued at Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand Dollars will be released to you as the beneficiary, which will be shared in percentage ratio 50% to me and 50% to you respectively.

All I request is your utmost sincere co-operation; trust and maximum confidentiality to achieve this project successfully. I have carefully worked out the modalities for execution of this transaction under a legitimate arrangement to protect you from any breach of the law both in your country and here in the USA when the fund is being transferred to your bank account. Upon your consideration and acceptance of this offer, please send me the following information immediately.

- Your Full Name,
- Your Contact Address
- Your direct Mobile telephone Number
- Your Date of Birth
- Your Fax number
- Your Gender
- Occupation

So I can send your data to our bank database to appear in the bank system that you are the named next of kin /heir beneficiary of the fund, and then I will guide your communication with OBA Bank for the immediate release and transfer of the fund to you, I wait for your immediate reply so we can commence the transaction immediately.

Thanks in appreciation and anticipation of your urgent response.

Contact me on my Private E-mail: meetnickwillys@yahoo.com or call my number +1 (203) 286 3568

Sincere Regards,

Mr. Nicholas Willis
Columbia, MD Branch

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