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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. S. Charles" <sicharles@zwallet.com> (may be fake)
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 18:39:16 +0100
Subject: NEXT OF KIN

Dear Partner,

Compliment of the Season and I wish you the very best this New Year.

My name is Mr. S Charles. (A British Citizen), I work in a bank here in
UK with a corresponding office in Germany.

I am contacting you on business transfer of a huge sum of money from a
deceased account, though I know that a transaction of this magnitude
will make anyone apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all
will be well at the conclusion of this transaction.

I decided to contact you due to the urgency of this transaction, when I
got your contact through my private search on the Internet.

PROPOSITION.

I am the account officer of a foreigner named Mr & Mrs. Raymond Beck who
died in a plane crash of 31 October, 1999 on board with an Egyptian
Airline 990 alongside with other passengers.

Please consult the Cable News Network (CNN) website below for
verification.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html
or
http://216.157.75.11/discus/messages/1073/400.html?1086886167

Since his death, none of his NEXT OF KIN or relations has come forward
to lay claims to this money as the heir. The bank cannot release the fund
from his account unless someone applies for claim as the NEXT OF KIN to the
deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Upon this discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as the
NEXT OF KIN to the deceased, as all documentations to back you up will
be carefully worked out. And the funds US$35Millions will be released in
your favor as the Beneficiary's / Next of Kin to the deceased.

It may interest you to know that I have secured from the probate an
order of mandamus to locate any of deceased Beneficiaries, because after
four
to five years the money will be called back to the bank treasury as
unclaimed
bills and the money will be shared amongst the Directors of the Bank.

So it is on this Note I decided to seek for whom his or her name shall be
used as the Next of Kin / Beneficiary to this funds rather than allow the
Bank Directors to share this money amongst themselves.

If you are willing to carry out this deal with me, please endeavour to
furnish me the following information: -

1. Your first and last names
2. Complete mailing address
3. Direct Telephone and fax numbers.
4. Age, Sex and Marital Status.

These requirements will enable me file a Letter of Claim to the appropriate
departments
for necessary approvals in your favor before the transfer can be made.

I shall be compensating you with 20% of the whole funds on final conclusion
of this
project for your assistance, and 10% set aside for any expenses incured by
both of us wihle 70% shall be for me,
for investment purposes, because I intend to retire from active service
after the conclusion of this transaction.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the
trust I have bestowed in you,
reply immediately to my private emailbox: charlesis@zwallet.com

Once again, Happy New Year and I hope to read from you soon.

Best regards,
Mr. Charles



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