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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: "Steven Lee" <stevelee@e-unionbankplc.org>
Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 09:05:12 +0000
Subject: FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

FROM THE DESK OF STEVEN LEE
PRIVATE EMAIL:stevelee@123mail.cl

URGENT INHERITANCE CLAIM

GOOD DAY,

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 ANYONE APPREHENSIVE. LET ME START BY INTRODUCING MYSELF TO YOU, I AM
STEVEN LEE, THE HEAD OF TELEX DEPARTMENT OF MY BANK, WHERE AM PRESENTLY
WORKING.
I SAW YOUR CONTACT DURING MY PRIVATE SEARCH AT THE INFORMATION CENTRE HERE
IN MY COUNTRY 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 MOHAMED KAMAL YASSER, OIL MERCHANT/CONTRACTOR ,
UNTIL HIS DEATH, OVER THE PAST YEARS AGO, WAS A VICTIM OF AN EGYPTIAN
AIRLINE FLIGHT 990 PLANE CRASH.

HERE IS DETAILS ABOUT THE PLANE CRASH.
(www.cnn.com/us/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html)

THE DECEASED, MOHAMED KAMAL YASSER, BANKED WITH US AND HAS A CLOSING BALANCE
AS AT JULY 2000 WORTH $45M (FOURTY FIVE MILLION USD). WHICH MY BANK, NOW
EXPECTES A NEXT-OF-KIN TO CLAIM AS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE FUNDS. EFFORTS HAS
BEEN MADE BY MY BANK DIRECTORS TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MR MOHAMED KAMAL
YASSER\\\\\\\'S FAMILY OR RELATIVE BUT TO NO SUCCESS. BASED ON THE PERCEIVED
POSSIBILITY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE
MOHAMED KAMAL\\\\\\\'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
MOHAMED KAMAL YASSER 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 WOULD BE NOMINATED ACCOUNT.

IT HAS BEEN AGREED THAT THE OWNER OF THE ACCOUNT WILL BE COMPENSATED WITH
30% OF THE REMITTED FUNDS, WHILE WE KEEP 65% AND 5% WILL BE SET ASIDE TO
OFFSET EXPENSES BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL.

IF THIS PROPOSAL SATISFIES YOU, PLEASE REACH ME THROUGH MY DIRECT EMAIL
ADDRESS FOR MORE INFORMATION AND ALSO SEND ME YOUR CONTACT TELEPHONE AND FAX
NUMBER INCLUDING YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER FOR QUICK AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

I AWAIT YOUR URGENT RESPONSE, ALL THE BEST AND GOD BLESS YOU.

PLEASE EMAIL ME ON THIS MY PRIVATE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR SECURITY REASON:
stevelee@123mail.cl

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

STEVEN LEE.


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