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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "JOHN SMITH" <john_smith6@latinmail.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:49:01 +0000
Subject: Hi,

Hi,
It is my pleasure to acquaint you with my situation and humbly ask for your help. My name is JOHN SMITH, my father was a cocoa farmer who was killed by the rebels during the recent political crises in my country COTE D'IVOIRE (Ivory Coast). As a result of the political instability in my country before the death of my late father, he diligently deposited a sum of Six Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars. ($6,500.000) in a Security Storage Firm in Europe for personal reasons.
I am seeking for your help to transfer into an overseas account, this money as a reliable and trustworthy person for an investment purposes in your country. Because of the political climate in Abidjan Ivory Coast right now and the instability in African countries economy, please I need you to assist me to relocate and invest my heritage wisely. Please I am ready to offer you 20% of the total sum of $6.5 Million, as a reward of your effort on your willingness to assist me.
Please I will like you to forward to me immediately you receive my mail, your complete names, address including your phone numbers for more explanations and for the legal documentation of this transaction. Please, note that the fund will be released from the security storage firm and transferred to you within 7 working days to your country through a diplomatic means and after receiving the fund from the Diplomat you go and deposit the fund in cash to your account,
as soon as you received this fund I will now arrange for my travelling papers to meet you. I wait your kind response today. Thanks for your care and understanding. This is my email address (john_smith6@latinmail.com) I await your reply.
Thank's and God bless you.
Your's
JOHN


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