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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:

• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "Steven Richard" <stevenrichie@stevenrichard.net>
Date: Mon, 01 May 2006 17:32:54 +0000
Subject: PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

Hello,

Please pardon my approach without a prior consent. My name is Mr. Steven
Richard, I work as an account officer with a commercial bank in Nigeria. In
my department, I discovered a domiciliary account that has remained dormant
for over five years with US$21.3 million in it. On my personal
investigation, I found out that the account belonged to one late Mr. David
Taylor, an American oil merchant who died on the 16th of January 2001, from
a ghastly mottor accident.

I also found out after further investigations that ever since he died none
of his next of kin/relative has come forward to claim this money. Now the
management under the influence of the bank chairman and members of the board
of directors has unanimously agreed that the account be frozen and the
outstanding sum be transferred to the federal government treasury account as
unclaimed fund by the end of the second quater of this year, if nobody
applies as the next of kin to claim it.

It is based on this I decided to establish a cordial business relationship
with you, hence by writing you. As as a foreigner, I will like to request
your assistance in claiming this money by having you stand in as the next of
kin to the late account owner in view of the fact that the late account
owner happened to be a foreigner.

Being an officer of the bank I cannot be directly connected to this money,
thus I am compelled to request for your assistance to receive this money
into your bank account as the beneficiary next of kin before it is
confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank.

If you agree to stand as the next of kin, I am prepared to part with you 30%
of the total sum for your assistance. I have in my possession all necessary
information and legal documents needed to back you up for this claim. All I
require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this deal
through. I assure you that this will be executed under legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

if my proposal meets your interest, kindly get back to me immediately with
your contact information for further details.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
Mr. Steven Richard



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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam