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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: "Avalu lawyer" <avalulawyer@msn.com>
Reply-To: johnalfred@ukrpost.net
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 09:46:39 +0000
Subject: VERY URGENT PLEASE

Barrister Steve Ibeme,
Steve Ibeme Chambers,
Solicitors & Advocates.
06 BP 1409 Akpakpa Dodomey,
Cotonou - Benin Republic.
mailbox:steveibemea@yahoo.com
Attn: Good Friend
I am Barrister Steve Ibeme, an attorney at law. This mail is written to
solicit your assistance to be presented as next of kin to my deceased client
Mr Ronald Lake. He made a fixed deposit valued US 9.5M,(Nine Million, Five
Hundred Thousand US Dollars) on September 1998 for 36 months maturity, with
an intent of putting up a gold mining company here in Cotonou and upon the
maturity this bank started contacting him but to no avail On 31 January,
2000, my clientele along with his wife died in a plane crash of Alaska
Airlines Flight number 261. You shall read more about the crash on visiting
this site(http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/)
The Governing Body of the bank has contacted me on this matter, based on the
fact that his supposed next of kin, happened to die in the said crash and I
am yet to provide any other Next of Kin to lay claim to the fund.
Under a clear and legitimate agreement with you, I shall seek your consent
to be presented as the next of Kin,so that the proceeds of this account now
valued US 9.5 million, will be paid to you as the next of kin to Late Mr
Ronald Lake, so that the Bank will not confiscate this fund, as the banking
law and guidelines here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed
after 6 years, the money will be transfered into the bank treasury as
unclaimed fund For the sake of transparency on this matter, you are free to
make immediate contact with me through my mailbox or phone line, for further
information related to this matter.
Thank you very much for your anticipated acceptance while I expect your
prompt response.
Yours faithfully,
Steve Ibeme

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