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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS MARIAN MAHACHI" <mrs_marian_maha2@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 13:31:22 +0200
Subject: From Mrs Marian Mahachi.Very Urgent

Mrs Marian Mahachi,
10 Small Street ,
Sandton,
Johannesburg,
South Africa.
 
Dear C.E.O / PRESIDENT,
 
I am a 45 year old widow. My late husband Mr. Moven Mahachi was the minister in charge of the sensitive ministry of defence under the present President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who died in a ghastly motor accident on Saturday, 26 May 2001.Before his death, he sent me out of Zimbabwe with a total amount of  (Eighteen Million Doolars) USD18Million sealed in a diplomatic baggage by President Mugabe to the republic of South Africa, because of the faith of our country was  yet to be decided due to the continuous seizure of white-owned farms and elections monopoly in the country by Mugabes party ZANU-PF.

This said money is meant to be used in suppressing other parties in next year election and to perfect campaign strategies for the president’s re-election.On  arrival  in  South  Africa,  with the instruction  of  my  husband, I deposited the money in a security company. Though I did not reveal the content of the baggage to  the  security  company  nor  did  I  declare  the actual content to  them. Because  I  wanted  to  be  on  a  safer side. I told  them that the baggage belongs to my foreign affiliate who is the  beneficiary  of  the item. After news about my husbands death I took out the necessary documents concerning this fund out of Zimbabwe for a safe keeping because I decided to keep the money for personal purposes. Presently residing temporarily Johannesburg because of Mugabe’s treat to size my husband’s properties and froze his accounts in Zimbabwe.

  I am  now  looking  for  a  reliable and tustworthy  person  to  help  me  transfer  this  money  into  a  foreign  account  overseas  prior  to investment in the country of any other conducive country overseas.

Luckily, I ran into your  details and decided to contact you and see if you can be of any help to us.Should this meet your utmost consideration, please  give us your earlier reply through my E-mail .Please add your private phone and fax numbers for easy communications
 
Feel free to ask question you consider necessary. The confidentiality in this transaction cannot be over emphasized as we trust and believe that you will oblige us the needed security and attention it demands. Please treat this transaction with absolute confidentiality.
Thanks.
Mrs Marian Mahachi.
< /DIV>

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