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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: "Mr. Femi Adebola" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrfemiadebola@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2015 10:09:01 -0400
Subject: Re - Next Of Kin

Dear Friend,
                           
It is with trust that I am writing to introduce myself to you and share an experience with you  which I believe should be mutually rewarding. My name is Mr. Femi Adebola, a branch manager of a bank here in Lagos and  incidentally an account officer to Mr. Mark Ennis (who is now late). Mr. Mark Ennis was until his death in 2012 in an industrial accident a senior Petroleum Engineer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is indebted to my late client Mr. Mark Ennis to the tune of US$6,500,000 from a running contract before his death. That is the reason for this vital contact with you.
 
Now based mainly on my several petitions for release and payment of this money to Mr. Ennis’s family/relative the government has authorized the payment of this remaining part to the family of Mr. Mark Ennis. However, over these past years I have made several fruitless efforts to locating  Mr. Mark Ennis family members or next of kins in your Country, hence this contact to you. I have to state though that he remained single until his  death at 52. I am writing to you because as his personal account officer, our bank has officially informed me to forward the details of Mr. Ennis next of kin within a specified time so that he/she could be paid the outstanding $6.5 Million dollars, otherwise his payment shall be reverted to the government treasury as unclaimed bill.
 
And since I have been unsuccessful in locating any of his relatives, I have decided to contact you for a deal so that we can work together as a team to get this money to your account away from here, as late Mr. Mark Ennis next of kin.  Please note that we shall do this through a simple process that will see you as the inheritor and beneficiary of these funds. It is made more easier because you are of the same country of origin with him. I am telling you this because, I cannot sit and watch Mr. Mark Ennis's hard earned entitlement go to undeserving persons. Please be rest assured that I am making this proposition with the best of intentions, even though I  understood that a business of this nature  is bound to make anyone curious and apprehensive.
                           
I have to say that all that is required now is your honest reply to enable us achieve this objective. I assure you that the claim and transfer of this fund on your name shall be under a Legitimate banking arrangement that will protect you fully. I want to state here also that upon the successful claim and transfer of these funds on your name according to plans, you shall be  entitled to 30% of the total funds. So, if you are interested to work with me in this deal then kindly reply with your full personal information such as full residential and business addresses and telephone numbers.
                           
Sincerely,
Mr. Femi Adebola

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