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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: "johnson jones" <ikengachidera@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: jones2005z@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 11:44:06 -0700
Subject: ESCROW ACCOUNT

DEAR SIR/MADAM.
YOUR ESTEEMED FIRM WAS RECOMMENDED TO ME THROUGH YOUR WEBSITE.

THIS LETTER WAS OUT OF MY SINCERE DESIRE TO ESTABLISH A MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP
WITH/BUSINESS.
MY NAME IS MR.JOHNSON JONES I AM THE REGIONAL MANAGER
OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF GHANA TAKORADI BRANCH IN THE
WESTERN REGION OF GHANA.
I AM 42 YEARS OLD MARRIED WITH TWO LOVELY
KIDS. I AM A MAN OF PEACE AMD I DON’T WANT PROBLEMS, I
ONLY HOPE YOU CAN ASSIST ME. IF YOU DON’T WANT THIS
PROPOSAL CAN YOU FORGET I EVER CONTACTED YOU.
I HAVE PACKAGED A FINANCIAL TRANSACTION THAT WILL
BENEFIT YOU AND I, AS THE REGIONAL MANAGER OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK IT IS MY DUTY TO SEND IN A FINANCIAL
REPORT TO MY HEAD OFFICE IN THE CAPITAL CITY ACCRA AT
THE END OF EACH BUSINESS YEAR. ON THE COURSE OF THE
LAST YEAR 2003 BUSINESS REPORT. I DISCOVERED THAT MY
BRANCH IN WHICH I AM THE MANAGER MADE NINE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLAR
DOLLARS ($9.OOO.OOO USD
WHICH MY HEAD OFFICE ARE NOT AWARE OF AND WILL NEVER
BE AWARE OF. I HAVE PLACED THIS FUNDS ON WHAT WE CALL
ESCROW CALL ACCOUNT WITH NO BENEFICIARY.

AS AN OFFICER OF THIS BANK I CANNOT BE DIRECTLY
CONNECTED TO THIS MONEY, SO MY AIM OF CONTACTING YOU
IS TO ASSIST ME RECEIVE THIS MONEY IN YOUR BANK
ACCOUNT AND GET 30% OF THE TOTAL FUNDS AS COMMISSION.
THERE ARE PRACTICALLY NO RISK INVOLVED, IT WILL BE A
BANK TO BANK TRANSFER, ALL I NEED FROM YOU IS TO STAND
CLAIM AS THE ORIGINAL DEPOSITOR OF THIS FUNDS WHO MADE
THE DEPOSIT WITH MY BRANCH SO THAT MY HEAD OFFICE CAN
ORDER THE TRANSFER TO YOUR DESIGNATED BANK ACCOUNT. IF
YOU ACCEPT TO WORK WITH ME I WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY
MUCH.

KINDLY RESPOND ME IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN GO OVER THE DETAILS. THANK YOU
IN ADVANCE AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
YOURS TRULY,
MR. JOHNSON JONES



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