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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: patmasinga@webmail.co.za
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 11:35:05 +0200
Subject: NEED FOR BUSINESS CO-OPERATION

FROM: MR. PATRICK MASINGA.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.
FAX: 27 732 742 075, TEL: 27 835 639 932

SIR, REQUEST FOR HUMBLE ASSISTANCE.

THIS LETTER IS MEANT TO CONTACT YOU FOLLOWING KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR ESTEEMED SELF TO HELP US OUT OF THIS DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT MY FAMILY HAS BEEN ENGULFED IN SINCE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER AND THE BREADWINNER OF OUR FAMILY WHO WAS RECENTLY MURDERED IN THE LAND DISPUTE IN ZIMBABWE. SO PLEASE, CONSIDER THIS AS A REQUEST FROM A FAMILY IN DIRE NEED OF ASSISTANCE. I AM PATRICK MASINGA FROM ZIMBABWE, THE FIRST AND THE ONLY SON OF LATE DR. SAMUEL MASINGA COMMUNICATING TO YOU FROM JOHANNESBURG, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA. I, ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY DECIDED TO SOLICIT FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF US$20.5MILLOIN (TWENTY MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS) INHERITED FROM MY LATE FATHER INTO YOUR COMPANY OR PRIVATE BANK ACCOUNT. BEFORE HIS DEATH, MY FATHER ON ONE OF HIS MANY TRIPS ABROAD! TOOK ME TO JOHANNESBURG TO DEPOSIT THE SUM OF US$20.5 MILLION (TWENTY MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WITH A PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY AS IF HE FORESAW THE !
LOOMING DANGER IN ZIMBABWE. THE MONEY WAS DEPOSITED WITH THE SECURITY COMPANY ON OUR ARRIVAL IN JOHANNESBURG LARGELY FOR ITS SAFETY. THE SOURCE OF THIS MONEY WAS FOR PURCHASE OF AGRO ALLIED FARM EQUIPMENT FOR THE GOVERNMENT. THIS LAND PROBLEM AROSE WHEN PRESIDENT MUGABE WHO ACCORDING TO MY LATE FATHER, IN A DESPERATE BID TO HOLD ON TO POWER FOR LIFE INTRODUCED A NEW LAND ACT, WHICH WHOLLY AFFECTED THE RICH FARMERS WHO WERE MOSTLY WHITE AND SOME BLACKS VEHEMENTLY CONDEMNED THE METHOD ADOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT. AND THAT RESULTED IN RAMPANT KILLINGS, LOOTING AND WIDE SCALE MOB ACTIONS BY THE VETERANS AND SOME POLITICAL THUGS. UNFORTUNATELY, MY LATE FATHER WAS AMONG THE FEW BLACK ZIMBABWEAN RICH FARMERS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD BY THE AGENTS OF THE RULING GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE, FOR HIS ALLEGED OPPOSITION AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW LAND ACT. HEADS OF GOVERNMENT FROM THE WESTERN WORLD, ESPECIALLY BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAVE VOICED THEIR CONDEMNAT!
ION AGAINST MUGABE'S ACTIONS. AS IT STANDS NOW, I AM THE ONLY PERSON T
HAT HAS ACCESS TO THE MONEY AND THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR ITS COLLECTION. FROM THE ABOVE, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIVES AND FUTURE OF MY FAMILY DEPEND ON THIS FUND AS SUCH I WILL BE GRATEFUL IF YOU CAN ASSIST US. WE ARE NOW LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICAN AS POLITICAL ASYLUM SEEKERS AND THE FINANCIAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA DO NOT PERMIT US CERTAIN FINANCIAL RIGHTS. IN VIEW OF THIS, I CANNOT INVEST THIS MONEY IN SOUTH AFRICA HENCE MY ASKING YOU TO ASSIST ME TO TRANSFER IT OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES IN YOUR COUNTRY.

FOR YOUR EFFORTS, WE ARE PREPARED TO OFFER YOU 20% OF THE TOTAL SUM WHILE 10% WILL BE SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TRANSACTION AND THE REMAINING 70% FOR THE FAMILY'S INVESTMENT ABROAD. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS TRANSACTION IS RISK-FREE AND THE MAJOR THING I ASK OF YOU IS TO ASSURE ME THE SAFETY OF THE MONEY WHEN TRANSFERRED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT. FURTHER INFORMATION AND ARRANGEMENT WILL COMMENCE AS SOON AS TRUST, CONFIDENCE AND GOOD RELATIONSHIP IS ESTABLISHED. I SHALL BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THIS MATTER.

THANK YOU AS I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE VIA THE TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER ABOVE FOR MORE DETAILS AND DON'T FORGET TO KEEP EVERY INFORMATION REGARDING THIS AS HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL.

BEST REGARDS,

MR. PATRICK MASINGA


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