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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: "p_balogun11@ommail.com" <johnmac-donnard@myway.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 21:39:07 -1200
Subject: IN GOOD FAITH

FROM: THE DESK OF MR PETER BALOGUN
UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC
LAGOS NIGERIA
BIG, STRONG, RELIABLE.


DEAR SIR,

I KNOW THIS PROPOSAL WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE
EXPECIALLY WHEN YOU DO NOT KNOW THE WRITER,
CONDSIDERING, THE HUGE SUM OF MONEY INVOLVED WHICH COULD
MAKE ANY
APPREHENSIVE.
LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF TO YOU,
I AM MR.PETER BALOGUN DIRECTOR CREDIT CONTROL, UNION BANK OF
NIGERIA
PLC. LAGOS. I SAW YOUR CONTACT DURING MY PRIVATE
SEARCH AT THE INFORMATION CENTRE HERE IN NIGERIA CHAMBER OF
COMMENCE AND INDUSTRY AND I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU
WILL BE VERY HONEST, COMMITTED AND CAPABLE OF
ASSISTING IN THIS BUSINESS VENTURE.
FIRSTLY, LET ME EXPLAIN THE SOURCE OF THIS FUNDS AND
WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO. A FORIGNER LATE ENGINEER
THEOPHILUS BAKER, AN OIL MERCHANT/CONTRACTOR WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, UNTIL HIS DEATH, OVER A YEAR
AGO, WAS A VICTIM OF A KENYA AIRWAYS: BUS (A310-300) FLIGHT
KQ430 PLANE CRASH. THE DECEASED, ENGNIEER THEOPILIUS
BAKER, BANKED WITH US AND HAS A CLOSING BALANCE AS AT
JULY 2000 WORTH $4.5M (FOUR MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOSAND USD). WHICH MY BANK, NOW EXPECTES A NEXT-OF-KIN
TO CLAIM AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDS, EFFORTS HAS
BEEN MADE BY UNION BANK OF NIGERIA TO GET IN TOUCH
WITH THE BAKER'S FAMILY OR RELATIVE BUT TO NO SUCCESS.
BASED ON THE PERCEIVED POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE
TO LOCATE ENGNIEER THEOPILUS'S NEXT-OF-KIN, THE
MANAGEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF OUR CHAIRMAN AND THE BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS ARE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNDS TO BE
DECLARED UNCLAIMED AND CHANNELED TO AN UNKNOWN
ACCOUNT. IT IS BASED ON THIS THAT WE HAVE CONTACTED YOU TO
STAND AS THE NEXT-OF-KIN OF LATE ENGR. THEOPILUS BAKER SO
THAT THE FUNDS, WILL BE RELEASED AND PAID INTO YOUR ACCOUNT
AS THE BENEFICIARY AND THE NEXT-OF-KIN TO THE DECEASED.
ALL DOCUMENTS, AND PROOF TO ENABLE YOU GET THE FUNDS
HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY WORKED OUT AS WE HAVE SECURED FROM THE
DIFFERENT OFFICES CONCERNED FOR THE SMOOTH TRANSFER OF THE
FUND TO YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT.IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE
OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH 20% OF THE
REMITTED FUNDS, WHILE WE KEEP 75% AND 5%
WILL BE SET ASIDE TO OFFSET EXPENSES AND PAY THE NECESSARY
TAXES.
IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU, PLEASE REACH US ONLY
BY MAIL , FOR MORE INFORMATION.
YOURS FAITHFULLY,

MR.PETER BALOGUN.
NB: FOR CONFIDENTIAL REASON AND SECURITY PURPOSE,WE WILL BE
COMMUNICATING THROUGH EMAIL FOR NOW.

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