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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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Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Ibrahim Ahmad." <ibrahmad3@hotmail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: ibrahmad@mail2world.com
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 12:54:04 +0000
Subject: Waiting for your urgent response or call me please

FROM MR IBRAHIM AHMAD
FOREIGN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT.
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK BURKINA FASO
Tel: +226 76 57 79 66
PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS: ibrahmad@mail2world.com

Dear friend,

Compliments of the seasons ,I am MR IBRAHIM AHMAD,
the bill and exchanger manager of AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT
BANK BURKINA FASO in West Africa with due respect
and regards.

I have decided to contact you on a business transaction
that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end
of the transaction. We had a foreign client MR. BRAIN O. ISAAC, who deposited a huge sum of money (US$10.5 million)
with our bank.

Eventually, this client was among the victims of
EGYPT AIR BOEING 767 FLIGHT NO.990 that crashed
on the 31-10-1999 in U.S.A but, since then we have
not had any body coming for the claims as the
next of kin. A situation I have monitored closely with my position in the bank.

Now, having monitored this deposit over
the years after his death, and hence nobody
has showed up as the next of kin for the past
three and half years, I have moved the file to
my private volt.

I now solicit for your assistance to present
you as the next of kin as every other arrangement
has being concluded by me and I am only waiting for
a foreigner to enable me move the fund to his account.
This does not have any risk attached to it as
all the internal documentations will be handled
by me.

I therefore request you to confirm your interest
by a return message and I will furnish you with
details. Your interest will be negotiable before
we commence the project.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Remain Bless.

Yours Faithfully.
MR IBRAHIM AHMAD.
+226 76 57 79 66
ibrahmad@mail2world.com


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