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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: "SANNI GARUBA" <sannigaruba05@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: sannigaruba@gawab.com
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 18:28:05 +0000
Subject: very urgent /get back to me Dear Friend !!!!!

Dear Friend,

Please permit me to contact you through this medium.I know that the
contents of this email may make you apprehensive especially since it is
coming from a foriegner,well I look forward to your earliest reply.

I am Mr. Sanni Garuba ,an accounts officer with UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA
PLC,Marina Branch,Lagos-Nigeria.I have urgent and private business
proposition for you. On May 4Th 2002, an Oil Consultant/Contractor with the
SUMMIT Oil Nigeria Ltd.,ENGR PAUL MORGAN,made a numbered time Fixed) Deposit
for twelve calendar months valued at US$6,800 000.00 (Six Million Eight
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars)in my
branch. I sent a routine notification to his forwarding address but got no
reply.

After a month, I sent a reminder and finally I discovered from his contract
employers the Summit Oil Nigeria Ltd that ENGR PAUL MORGAN died in auto
crash going to Abuja our Federal Capital Territory.On further investigation,
I found out that he died without making his
"WILL",and all attempts to trace his next of kin as fruitless.Further
investigation also revealed that he did not declare any next of kin or
relations in all his official documents, including his bank deposit
paperwork in my bank.

This sum of US$6,800,000.00 is still sitting in my bank and the interest is
being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year.

No one will ever come forward to claim it.

According to Nigeria law, at the expiration of 4(Four) years, the money will
revert to the ownership of the Nigerian Government if nobody applies to
claim the fund. Consequently, my proposal is that I would want you to act as
the next of kin to ENGR PAUL MORGAN (and you will be presented as the next
of kin) so that this fund will be transferred and paid to you.A bank account
in any part of the world,which you will
provide will facilitate the transfer of this money to you as the b
eneficiary. The money will be paid into your account for us to share in the
ratio of 60% for me and 40% for you and my plan is to invest my own share of
the money into real estate and stocks in your country.

I decided to give you this percentage in order to motivate you and also to
let you feel satisfied at the end of this transaction. I assure you that
this transaction would protect you from any breach of law and I hope that it
will be of mutual benefit to both of us.

Therefore I will like you to provide me with your full name, direct
telephone and your personal address to enable me commence the process that
will put you in place as the next of kin.

I would wait to read from you.

I am yours truly,
Mr Sanni Garuba


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