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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: "princewill" <princewill_co2005@yahoo.fr> (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:08:11 +0100
Subject:

From Princewill Covo
Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire
Tel 0022507835240
Dear Beloved Friend,
This proposal is to you if only you can assist me in all sincerity. My name is Princewill
Covo. I will give you 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
co-operation.
I was living with a very high personality but, the man died in a car accident two months
ago. This man told me in secret about the source of his funds and confidence in me. He had
to keep some documents concerning his secret dealings with me as well use to explain many
things concerning his life to me as a good friend and as some body who was living with him.
I will brief you once I am sure about you ok.
Because this man was good to me, I took it upon myself to travel to his country last month,
to see if I could locate any of his close relations. I want you to keep this strictly
confidential; his name is Mr. Vincent Arap Moi of Kenya. For more information you can visit
this website:
<<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3338023.stm>>
<<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3025878.stm>>
I sponsored this trip on my own and nobody neither my friends knew about it. Now there are
two things I could do with regards to the dead mans money.
First, as somebody that was living with him and know much of him, I could look for an
African person to stand with for him/her to claim the funds from the Security Company where
it was deposited but, due to the bad mind of blacks and knowing about the situation
surrounding the former president of Kenya and for the safety of my life, I decided to
contact you for this project.
After my trip back from Kenya, I went to the Security Company with all the vital documents
in regards to the deposit with them but, they told me until the next of kin to the
consignment get in contact with them as this was stated on the documents should in case the
original depositor is not available before they can release the consignment to the next of
kin. With this reasons, I told the company to give me some time to reach the next of kin for
the release of the consignment and shall get back to them.
It's based on this reason I contacted you so that we can claim this funds from the Company
for our investment in your place and help our selves since the money actually is public fund
due to the fact that the late president was as close 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 shall
be transferred into the account after we must have claim the consignment from the Security
Company.
The total money in the consignment according to what he told me and the picture of how the
money looks like which he also shown to me 4 months before is untimely dead 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.
Also provide me your direct tel/fax to reach you and let me know if you have a good private
or offshore account that can carry this sum of money
Yours truly.
Princewill Covo.



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