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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: "william smith" <william_smith_2005@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: williamsmith99@katamail.com
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 16:04:47 -0400
Subject: ATTENTION====URGENT

CAUTION: This mail is written and intended to solicit your assistance to be
presented as NEXT OF KIN to my late Client's estate. Considering the
sensitivity of this email to you, I advice that you keep its content to
yourself. If you are not willing to do this with me, please delete this
email and do not bother to respond.

I am WILLIAM SMITH I work with one of the largest Investment Company here
in London, United Kingdom.Basically, we are into Fund Management and
Portfolio Investments. My Deceased Client Willie Jackson Sr., 61 years, of
Scotch Plains, N.J.,and

Orlando, Florida USA made a Deposit of Investment Fund valued at
?????(amount not disclosed now for security reasons)with an Offshore Bank in
the United Kingdom and unfortunately lost his
life aboard Egypt Air Flight 990, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on
October 31, 1999(View: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/502503.stm)
and left no clear beneficiary as Next of Kin as he has not completed all of
his investmentpaper works with us.

The Management of the BANK has contacted me on this matter to commence
probate claim with the Chancery Division of the Probate Court but I am yet
to provide the Next of Kin to lay claims to the Fund. As the Fund Manager of
the deceased,I have the file of the deceased that contains his investment
instructions, so the bank is unaware that the deceased does not state his
next of kin.Usually, it is our policy to commence investment for client when
our investment-receiving bank receives their payments.

Under a clear and legitimate agreement with you, I shall seek your consent
to be presented as the next of Kin so that the Government will not
confiscate my late Clients' Fund.Should you be willing
to work with me, do send your formal letter of acceptance on my private
email:(william.smith99@katamail.com) immediately and I will get back to
you with further details on how to proceed.

Thank and God bless
Best Regards
WILLIAM SMITH


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