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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: "idris momoh" <idris_momoh28@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Jun 2005 10:08:10 +0200
Subject: REQUEST FOR URGENT ASSISTANCE

From:Mariam
Tel: +27-83-3692084
E-mail: idris_momoh28@hotmail.com
FROM;Dr.Mrs.Mariam Momoh.
DIRECTOR/CEO,

I know you will be surprised to receive this letter from me, but please,
consider this as a request from a woman in dare need of assistance.I am the
wife of late Sierra Leone Head of State,General Joseph S.Momoh ,writing
from Free-Town president ialquarters,where I have been kept under
house-arrest since the assasination of my husband,And I,on behalf of my late
husband and my younger son, Idris Momoh,decided to solicit for your
assistance to transfer the sum of US$20Million(TWENTY MILLION
USDollars)into your private/company bank account .
Before the death of my husband,he specifically drew my attention to the
sum of US$20Million which he had deposited in a safe box of a private
Security Company in Johannesbourg, South Africa.He deposited this sum
as'family treasures' using my son,mr.Idris Momoh Momoh,as the beneficiary.
This deposit,according to my late husband,should be used for family
investment purposes.Successive governments has recked terribly on my family
wealth in the mindless name of 'recovering looted treasury and embezzled
funds' from the past administrations.In fact,all that my husband laboured to
acquire keep disappearing into traces,including even his foreign deposits.
As it is now, the family is left with nothing except this deposit in
South Africa which I must confess to you that the lives and future of my son
and the entire family lies and depends solely on this fund and as such,I
Would be grateful if you could kindly assist my son in getting them
transferred out of Johannesbourg, South Africa,where he is presently staying
as an asylum-seeker following the arrest of his elder brother,Alhaji Ibrahim
Momoh,by secret-security agents of the state
He was accused or receiving and executing contracts under his father's
regime.I have been under house arrest myself since the death of my
husband,and subjected to series of probes and all kinds of accusations and
blackmail levelled on me by successive administrations and the Sierra
Leonean press.As a result I cannot come down to Johanesbourg,South Africa.

My son will intimate you on the modalities he has worked out for a
smooth,safe and risk-free transfer with the help of our family Lawyer,a
South African,and areputable Johannesburg-based lawyer,whom my latehusband
assisted immensely during his academic pursuitin Sierra Leone.
All I want you to do for me as an international partner is to help my son
clear this fund from the Security Company by coming down to South Africa,get
the depository documents changed to your name and particulars as the real
beneficiary and then,open a non-resident account from which the money will
be transferred into your nominated bank account in your country
My son, as an asylum-seeker,cannot,because South African Finance Laws
inhibits asylum-seekers from opening any kind of account.
We have agreed to give you 20% of the total deposit for your assistance
and 3% for the expenses that might be incurred in the course of the transfer
and the remaining 77%for the family.
Further information and discussion about this transfer will commence as
soon as you give us the assurance and confidence that this money will be
safe when transfered to your country.If you are willing to assist us, do
kindly contact my son on this special E-mail address opened specifically
for this purpose mainly for security reason.The addressis thus: Bearing
in mind that this transaction should betreated with utmost
confidentiality.May Almighty be with you.
Dr.Mrs. Mariam Momoh.(FOR THE FAMILY)

_________________________________________________________________
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