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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: don_e1@tiscali.co.uk
Reply-To: donezekiel@fastermail.com
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2004 08:06:44 -0700
Subject: DEAR GOOD FRIEND,

DEAR GOOD FRIEND,

MY NAME IS MR DON EZEKIEL, THE MANAGER CREDIT AND
FOREIGN BILLS OF ECOBANK OF NIGERIA .I AM WRITING IN
RESPECT OF A FOREIGN CUSTOMER OF MY BANK WITH ACCOUNT
NUMBER 14-255-2004/utb/t WHO DIED IN A PLANE CRASH
[ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE 961] WITH OTHER PASSENGERS ABOARD.

SIR, SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER I PERSONALLY
HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT
OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS COME
TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF USD15.5 M, [FIFTEEN MILLION FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS] HAS BEEN WITH
MY BANK FOR A VERY LONG TIME. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED
TO SEEK FOR WHOM HIS NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE NEXT OF
KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN. AND
THE BANKING ETHICS HERE DOES NOT ALLOW SUCH MONEY TO
STAY MORE THAN FOUR YEARS, BECUASE AFTER FOUR YEARS
THE ACCOUNT WILL BE DECLARED DORMANT AND THE MONEY
FORFEITED TO THE BANK.

IN VIEW OF THIS, I DECIDED TO CONTACT YOU TO ACT AS
THE NEXT OF KIN. THE REQUEST OF A FOREIGNER AS NEXT OF
KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT
THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER. I AGREED THAT 30% OF
THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER IN
RESPECT OF PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT, WHILE THE REST WILL
BE FOR ME.

THEREAFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT.
THEREFORE TO FACILITATE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF THIS
FUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST
TO THE BANK AS A RELATION TO THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR
BANK NAME, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, YOUR PRIVATE
TELEPHONE NUMBER, AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY COMMUNICATION
AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE REMITTED.
UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR

REPLY, I WILL SEND YOU BY FAX OR E-MAIL THE
APPLICATION AND THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE. I WILL NOT FAIL
TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH
FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR
AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MADE FOR
THE TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY AS
SOON AS YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER.

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YOURS RESPECTFULLY,
MR DON EZEKIEL.


__________________________________________________________________
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