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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  

Fraud email example:

From: "Akusi Brown" <akusibrown200@msn.com>
Reply-To: akusi_brown@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Mon, 16 Jan 2006 02:12:30 +0000
Subject: URGENT REPLY ASAP 16/01/2006

Mr Akusi Brown,
Treasury Controller,
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,
Lagos-Nigeria.

Dear Sir/madam,
This is for real. Confidential,I am the Treasury Controller, Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] and a close associate of the
immediate past Minister of Petroleum Resources.
The Minister has mandated me to transfer the sum of US$88 millions
Recovered from over-invoiced contracts involving the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] into several private accounts
in Europe and United States. A total sum of US$68,000,000.00 has been
transferred before the Emergence of this present Civilian Administration,
leaving the balance of US$20,000,000.00.I have made proper
arrangement/documentation to transfer the balance which is retained in a
coded account of the NNPC with the Central Bank o f Nigeria. We are
soliciting that you help us to receive the fund in trust.
We Cannot complete this transaction smoothly without the
participation of a foreign partner who would provide an account where the
funds could be lodged.Since it is a contract payment, the funds must be
remitted to a foreign account.The remittance of the funds requires little
documentation.
There is no risk involved on your part in this transaction since the
Former Minister and I have covered this transaction with adequate
contract and external credit documents from the beginning.
What we require from you by e-mail are via:
{i} Acceptance letter of this offer
{ii} Your company name/Address and confidential
Telephone and fax numbers
{iii} Convincing Honesty, Trustworthiness and Willingness to
abide by the requirements of this proposal paramount of which is
CONFIDENTIALITY. We have agreed that you will retain 30% of the entire
US$20,000,00 0.00 for your effort in this transaction, 60% for us partners
here in Nigeria and the remaining 10% will be used for defrayal of
incidental cost in the course of this transfer.
Please reply urgently by e-mail as we expect that the
transaction will not take more than ten working days. And please
note that this transaction must be top secret.

Best regards,
Mr Akusi Brown
(Treasury Controller NNPC)

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam