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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: macleod zimmerman <mac_zimm2006@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 15:12:21 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: MEETING YOU IN GOOD FAITH


FIRST AND FOREMOST,I MUST SOLICIT YOUR STRICTEST
CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION AND I PRAY THAT MY DECISION TO CONTACT YOU WILL BE GIVEN GENUINE APPROVAL CONSIDERING THE FACTS WE HAVE NOT KNOWN EACH OTHERBEFORE,I WISH TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU.
I AM MACLEOD ZIMMERMAN FROM SIERRA-LEONE WEST AFRICA.
I WRITES TO INFORM YOU MY DESIRE TO INVEST,AND TO BUY A LIVING HOUSE IN YOUR COUNTRY. I AM 22YEARS OLD AND THE SON OF (CHEIF)POUL ZIMMERMAN . MY FATHER BEFORE IS DEATH HE WAS A DIAMOND MERCHANT IN MY COUNTRY.

MY LATE FATHER WAS SHOT BY THE REBELS ON HIS WAY TRAVELLING TO LUSIA A CITY AFTER FREETOWN THE CAPITAL ALONG WITH MY ELDER BROTHER.

MY BROTHER DIED ON THE SPOT WHILE U.N.PEACE KEEPING
FORCE RESCUED MY FATHER,HE WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR
MEDICAL TREATMENT WHICH HE LATER DIED AFTER THREE
MONTHS.

BEFORE HE DIED HE REAVEALED TO ME AND MY MOTHER ABOUT THE CONSIGNMENT OF MONEY CONTAINING $25MILLION US DOLLARS.

WHICH HE DEPOSITED WITH A BOND ET CREDIT DU NORD FINACIAL FIRM IN PARIS, FRANCE FOR SAFEKEEPING. MY FATHER DID NOT DISCLOSE THE
CONTENT OF THE BOX TO THE FINACIAL COMPANY.TO AVIOD
THE OFFICIALS FROM RAISING EYE BROWS TO THE FUND.

PRESENTLY MYSELF AND MY MOTHER WE ARE HERE IN GHANA TO NOTIFY THE FINACIAL FIRM FOR THE CLAIMS,AND WE ARE STAYING IN THE REFUGE CAMP.

WHEN WE GOT TO THE AFILATED BRANCH OF FINACIAL COMPANY HERE IN GHANA, WE WHERE TOLD THAT MY FATHER MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM THAT THEY SHOULD NOT RELEASE THE CONSIGNMENT TO ANY OF HIS
FAMILY MEMBER WITHOUT A FOREIGN PARTNER, THAT IS WHY MY MOTHER AND I ARE SEEKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.

THEREFORE I WANT YOU TO LECTURE ME ON HOW BEST WE CAN INVEST THIS MONEY,BECAUSE MY FATHER TOLD ME THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO INVEST THIS MONEY IN AFRICA TO AVIOD SUSPICIONS,AND DUE TO MARKET INSTABILITY COUPLED WITH ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY FACING AFRICAN COUNTRIES,THAT IS WHY WE WANT TO INVEST IN ABROAD.

FOR YOUR MUTUAL ASSISTANCE, MYSELF AND MY MOTHER HAVE AGREED TO OFFER YOU 20%OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE MONEY.WE HAVE ALL THE VITAL DOCUMENTS COVERING THE DEPOSIT AND THE OWNERSHIP WHICH I CAN SEND TO YOU THROUGH FAX ON REQUEST. NOTE, I HAVE NEVER DISCLOSED THIS TO ANY PERSON APART FROM YOU,SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP THIS TRANSACTION AS A TOP SECRET TO YOURSELF ALONE.

WHICH I WILL WANT YOU TO FORWARD ACROSS TO ME YOUR
DIRECT TEL/FAX NUMBER FOR MORE INFORMATIONS ABOUT THIS TRANSACTION.

MY BEST REGARDS
MACLEOD





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