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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.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "georgemd@mail2world.com" <georgemd@mail2world.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 06:09:32 -1100
Subject: UPDATE

STANDARD BANK LONDON
5TH FLOOR CANNON BRIDGE HOUSE
25 DOWGATE HILL LONDON
EC4R 2SB UNITED KINDOM.

GOOD DAY TO YOU,

MY NAME IS MR.GEORGE MCDONALDS ANDERSON, WORKING WITH THE
MINING FINANCE DEPT WITH STANDARD BANK LONDON.

WE HAD A FOREIGN CUSTOMER WHO DEPOSITED A HUGE SUM
OF MONEY WITH OUR BANK, WHO LATER DIED AS A RESULT OF
PLANE CRASH IN1999. BEFORE HIS DEATH, HE TRANSFERED THE SUM OF
US$26.5M (TWENTY-SIX MILLION FIVEHUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED SATES DOLLARS)
TO A BANK IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND.

SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER, I PERSONALLY HAVE
WATCHED WITH KEEN
INTEREST TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN BUT ALL HAS PROVED
ABORTIVE AS NO ONE
HAS COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF US$26.5M (TWENTY-SIX
MILLION FIVE HUNDRED
THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) WHICH HAS BEEN WITH
THE BANK IN HOLLAND
FOR A VERY LONG TIME. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO
SEEK FOR WHOSE NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME
UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN.

IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY
COUNTRY`S FOREIGN TRADE
MISSION AFTER I WAS CONVINCED BY PROVIDENCE THAT YOU
COULD BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN.

THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN
THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A
FOREIGNER AND YOU SHARE THE
SAME SURNAME AND SOMEBODY IN LONDON CANNOT STAND AS
THE NEXT OF KIN TO OUR LATE CUSTOMER.

I AGREED THAT US$5 MILLION OF THIS MONEY WILL BE
FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN
PARTNER FOR PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT, WHILE THE REST
WILL BE FOR ME,THEREAFTER, I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR
DISBURSEMENT AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT.

THEREFORE, TO FACILITATE THE IMMEDIATE TRANSFER OF
THIS FUND TO YOUR ACCOUNT AS ARRANGED, YOU MUST APPLY FIRST TO THE
BANK AS A RELATION TO THE DECEASED INDICATING YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE
NUMBER,AND FAX NUMBER FOR EASY
COMMUNICATION AND LOCATION WHERE THE MONEY WILL BE
REMITTED.

UPON THE RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY, I WILL SEND YOU BY
FAX OR E-MAIL THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE.

I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS
BUSINESS IS HITCH-FREE AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR AS THE
WHOLE REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE TRANSFER.

YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS
EMAIL OR CALL ME ON MY
NYMBER +44 704 012 8295.

TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.

YOUR RESPECTFULLY,


GEORGE MCDONALDS ANDERSON.
+44 704 012 8295

N:B all response should be mailed to
georgemcds@mail2world.com


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