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

Fraud email example:

From: john Akili <johnakili@netscape.net>
Reply-To: akilifamily@gawab.com
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 17:22:34 +0200
Subject: John........


Good day,
I have the courage to ask for your assistance to handle this important project believing that you will never let us down either now or in future.l am mr john Akili from Gabon 25 years old,but starying here now in COTONOU, REPUBLIC OF BENIN with my mother and sister under UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES.
I got your contact from MICROSOFT.please consider this letter as a request from a family in their need of your assistance.Before my father's death,he was Brigadier in charge of arms and ammunition purchase for the Gabon Armed Forced.
On behalf of my family I decided to solicit for your assistance to transfer the sum of €21,320,000.000,(Twenty One Million, Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Euros)inherited from my late father into your personal or company's account.
please if you can assist write me back and l will forward to you more documents and details of bank where he deposited the fund in FRANCE .
Am waiting to read your reply soon.
Thanks.
Mr.John Akili.
For my Family.
NB.PLEASE REPLY TO FAMILY EMAIL akilifamily@gawab.com

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