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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:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "huge deposit" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "million us dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • "i have a new email address!" (this SPAM email was sent to thousands of people)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • ger_oko@yahoo.co.uk (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Gerald=20Okoli?= <ger_oko@yahoo.co.uk>
Reply-To: geroko@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:12:44 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Next of Kin. ( Saskia )


I have a new email address!You can now email me at: ger_oko@yahoo.co.uk

Attn: Saskia,


I am Gerald Okoli, a chartered accountant. I am the personal accountant to Late Mr. Mark Saskia, a national of your country, who until his death was an employee with Chevron Oil Exploration Company in Nigeria. Hereinafter shall be

referred to as my client. On the 21st of April 1999, my client, his wife and their three Children were involved in a car accident along Sagbama express-road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.


Since then I have made several enquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name so as to locate any nearest relative or to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you. I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money and property left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank here where the huge deposits were lodged. The Constitutional provision of the Federal Republic of Nigeria further mandates the deceased attorney to repatriate the fund to original country of deceased if stablished. Particularly, Standard Trust Bank PLC where the deceased had an account valued at $17,000,000.00

(Seventeen million US dollars) has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next 21 official working days.


Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 4 years now I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last name and from the native country of the deceased, so that the proceeds of this account valued at $17million dollars can be paid to you and then you can disburse as follows:


1) 50% to you.

2) 50% to Me


I have all necessary legal documents that can be used to back up any claim we may stand to make. All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this project through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate

arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Please, reply me immediately.


Best regards,

- Gerald Okoli

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam