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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • rimi_s@katamail.com

Fraud email example:

From: "michael dante" <shaiburm2@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: rimi_s@katamail.com
Date: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 15:05:15 +0000
Subject: attention

ALHAJI SHAIBU RIMI

ATTN: PRESIDENT/CEO

I am ALHAJI SHAIBU RIMI, the Administrative officer of the
consignment/Treasury Department of a Security and Finance Company in Lagos,
Nigeria having offshore payment centers all over the world.


Recently, we discovered a dormant consignment with a substantial amount of
money valued at Forty Five Million United States Dollars (US$45,000,000.00)
that belongs to one of our numerous customers who died in a motor accident
in November 1998.


During the period of our investigation, we discovered that the deceased died
along with his only son and wife, leaving no WILL and nobody behind to come
for the claim as next of kin. The policy
guidelines/law of our firm stipulates that if such consignment remains
unclaimed for Six years, it will be forfeited to the firm's treasury as an
unclaimed consignment/bill as a Nigerian, I cannot stand as the next of kin
to a foreigner.


It is upon this discovery that I as head of this department decided to
Contact you to collaborate with me to pull out this dormant consignment. I
am going to give you 30% of the total fund if this
proposal meets your interest.

Urgently, reach me through the above stated e-mail to enable me give you the
full details for this transaction and how it is going to work out. Also
include your personal telephone and fax number for easy communication.


What I want from you is to act as the deceased's next of kin. I have in my
possession (alone) all necessary documents to successfully accomplish this
business. However, it will require that you
shall be physically present in any of our centers to pull out this fund for
onward transmission into your bank account.

The next of kin must be present in Lagos, Nigeria or any of our offshore
payment centers to sign out these funds, which take a maximum of three (3)
working days to conclude further information will be given to you as soon as
I receive your positive response via email.

Anticipate your urgent reply.


Regards,

ALHAJI SHAIBU RIMI
Please reply to this email: rimi_s@katamail.com

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam