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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: Renny Williams <mr.williams.02@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <mr-rewilliams@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 26 May 2007 23:33:56 +0000
Subject: BENEFICIARY.





Attn: Please, I am so very sorry if I pried into your privacy but it was due to the confidentiality attach to this medium and I am convinced that you will aid this project. My name is Renny Williams of Will's legal Consultant in Dakar Senegal. I am writing you in regards to my late client Mrs.Jessica Lesniewski,a single mother of two and a successful businesswoman from your country who base here in Senegal. She died unfortunately with her two kids and her driver in a car accident in Nov 2004. The very reason I am contacting you now is to legally identify you to the London bank as her only relation to effect claim of her deposited assets and accrued interest valued at Ten Million Pounds before it gets confiscated by the British Government.The deposited bank in London has written us (Her legal Consultant) servaral times in the past two years but this year issued a final notice to provide any of her relatives for payment or have the assets channel to the Government Treasury as unclaimed fund within the next 14 days. Since there was no relative or Next of Kin left in our record, I seek your sincere consent to present you as her only surviving relative and a beneficiary, so that this funds can be transfer to your bank account since I(I?×(Be been unlucky locating any of her relatives for 2years now. My aim now is to usher you in legally as her relative since you are of the same Nationality so we can benefit from this funds. On confirmation of your positive interest to work with me, I propose you inherit 45% of this fund for your help and sincerity,50% for my firm while 5% for the refunds of processing expenses and to pay tax in your country (if any) prior to the successful confirmation of this funds in your bank account. All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of law. Please urgently reply if you can handle it. Best Regards, Mr.Renny Williams (MD) Will's Consultant, Rue 8x Av Dakar Senegal.
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