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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: "Mrs. Joy Ojo" <ojo@k.ro> (may be fake)
Reply-To: ojo4@k.ro
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 07:04:25 -0800
Subject: Please Assist Us!

I'm writing on behalf of my boss to solicit your assistance in a project of
mutual benefit.

I am the confidential secretary to my boss who is the chairperson on
petroleum matter in the upper senate cabinet in Nigeria.

I am contacting you to seek your sincere partnership in transfer of a huge
sum of money requiring maximum confidentiality that he wishes to invest in
your country.

The source of this fund came as a result of a kickback from the $2.5
billion contract awarded to TSKJ, a subsidiary of Halliburton in July 2004
for the construction of pipeline for the Nigeria liquefied natural gas and the fund in question is deposited with the apex bank of Nigeria.

Can you be trusted?

The deposit contained $45,000,000.00, which will be invested into any
viable and profitable venture in your country under your care and based on
the mutual trust you exhibited now.

You will also be needed to front to retrieve this fund into your account,
to manage the investment for the next two years (2007) till this present
dispensation step aside in May 2007.

SHARE: -
For assisting us in this deal, you will be entitled to 30% of the money,
70% will be for us.

I would require your contact details (company's name, address, telephone
and fax numbers) so that he (my boss) can discuss the process and duration of this
great deal with you.

I sincerely hope that you will be of assistance. I implore you to treat
this mail as confidential as possible as myself and my boss is still in
active serve, though my boss intends to retire in the last quarter of 2005.

Please reach me on my email for now. If you are not in a position to assist
us, do not respond to this mail and I apologize for taking your time.
Best regards,
Mrs. Joy Ojo





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