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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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: "William Goje" <stevmba@mscold.com>
Reply-To: williamsgoje@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 22:14:59 -0500
Subject: NEXT OF KIN

Dear Partner,

I am a staff of a bank in Africa. I will give you the name of my bank
and other important information if I receive a positive reply from
you. For security reasons I cannot disclose my full identity to you
now until I am sure of your cooperation.

I work in the operations dept where I serve as account officer to
numerous customers.

One of the customers whom I worked as his account officer was a wealthy
diamond merchant from neighboring Sierra Leone. He lost his family in
the war. He was lucky to escape alive and came to this country with
his wealth intact.

Unfortunately he died Last year. Because this man was good to me when
he was alive, I took it upon myself to travel to his country last
month, to see if I could locate any of his close relations.
On reaching there I discovered that his only surviving uncle died a few
months back. I sponsored this trip on my own and nobody in the bank
knew I was undertaking the journey so I did not present any official
report of my findings in Nigeria.

Now there are two things I could do with regards to the dead mans
money.
First, as his accounts officer, I could formally notify the bank
authorities that the man is dead and has no next of kin. In this case
the money would be forfeited to the government after some time. As a
matter of fact this is the proper thing I am supposed to do.

Another thing I can do is to arrange for someone else, a foreigner, to
act as the next of kin of the late man so that he will claim the
money.This is the option that I can do to help anybody and myself
since the money actually is public fund due to the fact that my friend
was a close ally to the late brutal military president that looted
government treasury and that is why I have chosen to do it. I want you
to be my partner. All you would have to do is act as the next of kin
of the dead man and the whole money in the account will be transferred
to your account.

As the accounts officer to the late man, I have all the necessary
documents that you will require to claim the money in the account.

The total money in the account is USD17 million. Your share will be 30%
which is USD5,100,000. My own share will be 69%, which is
USD11,730,000. We shall keep 1% which is USD170,000 for expenses.

Reach me immediately by mail, so that I can give you further details.
Also provide me you with direct tel/fax to reach you.

Yours truly,

Williams Goje

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam