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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: Nelson McComack <nelson_mccomack12@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <nelson_mccomack@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 12:17:30 -0400
Subject: Important and confidential



Dear Beneficiary,

I work for OTD & CO Benin Republic. A law firm that arranges asset management and storage of special valuables for reputable clients.

We have information concerning of the availability of a deposit box with a Vaults Storage Company which has been listed in your name. A benefactor made you the beneficiary of the deposit box which contains $ 1,000,000 (One Million United States Dollars) The lease on the Safe deposit box has expired and no further rental payments or claims have since been made since dormancy.

Financial assets are considered unclaimed when contact with an owner or beneficiary is lost for an extended period and the lease expired without further rental payments or claims. This often happens due to a name change after marriage or divorce, an unreported change of address or expired postal forwarding order,incomplete, illegible records and result of computer and clerical errors. When owners or thier heirs fail to claim an asset over a specified number of years known as the dormancy period, those left holding the money: banks, stock brokers, utilities, employers, life insurance companies and others - transfer custody to a special trust account in a process known as escheat.

The funds contained in the deposit box is from the National Lottery which has made over 855 lucky individuals millionaires since its inception in 1994. Of the more than $ 11 billion paid out in prize money, $300 million in National Lottery winnings have gone unclaimed. National Lottery prizes have to be claimed within 180 days of the draw, or the prize is paid back into the distribution fund to benefit "good causes." Approximately $34 million is currently available for claim. Either you have won the lottery but a claim was not made or was not successful, We can provide legal assistance and claims administration through the Treasury Solicitor, Department of the Probate Registry for transfer of ownership of the safe deposit box to you as the sole and legal beneficiary. After which we will arrange the release of the safe deposit box to you.

More Information will be provided concerning the deposit box when you get back to us.

Sincerely,

Nelson McComackOTD & CO Benin Republic
_________________________________________________________________
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