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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: Rotimi Williams <rotimi0015@hotmail.fr>
Reply-To: <rotimi1012000@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 11:21:21 +0100
Subject: FINANCE CO-ORDINATOR NEEDED




Inland Bank Nigeria Plc.Corporate Head Office,Marina.Lagos-Nigeria.
Good Day,I am Rotimi A Williams an accountant with one of the reputable banks in Nigeria. I am also a Personal accounts officer to Mr.Mark Keating, from your country who used to work with shell Development Company in Nigeria, Herein after shall be referred to as my client an expatriate Who board a plane from the city of kano to the city Lagos in Nigeria, and unfortunately died with his entire family on Saturday, 4 May, 2002, in plane crash. Let me refer you to the front Page of (BBC) World News of Saturday, 4 May 2002,). You can check it through their website at.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968300.stm andhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1968616.stm
Ever since then, valuable efforts have been made to get to his people but to no avail, as he had no known relatives and more so, he used his wife's name as his next of kin in his account opening forms. I have been expecting his relatives to come over to claim his money as it cannot be claimed unless somebody applies officially for it as his next of kin as indicated in our banking guide but no avail. Unfortunately, I discovered that his supposed next of kin (his wife and children) died with him over the plane crash incident. Over the years, I decided to look for the necessary papers relating to the deposit in order to make business out of it as the deposit was made in my branch. Now that all papers are ready, I am asking for your assistant to release the money to you as his relation/next of kin for safekeeping and subsequent disbursement. I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive but I am assuring you of the security of us all as modalities have been perfected for a swift and smooth operation. Since nobody showed up for his money and I don't want it to go back into Federal Government account as unclaimed bill when the next audit is conducted. The banking law and guideline here stipulates that such money if remain unclaimed, will be transferred into banking treasury as unclaimed effect. The request of a foreigner to act as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Nigerian cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. You are most qualified in this transaction as you are a foreigner. I am ready to negotiate the mode of sharing with you. I will visit your country for the disbursement/investing of my share according to the percentages we shall agree upon after the successful transfer of the money to your account. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this transaction is 100% hitch-free and that there is absolutely no risk in it, having concluded the modalities for a smooth operation and my position in the bank guarantees its successful execution. All I require is your honest co-operation, a guarantee of your sincerity and capability to enable us concludes this deal. Note however that the sensitive nature of this transaction demands that you have to keep it absolutely confidential. Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this letter if you do not appreciate this proposition. Thank you very much for your time. Where interest is indicated, contact me immediately. Please note to include your telephone number and fax for fast communication. Trusting to hear from you immediately.
Yours faithfully.Mr.Rotimi A Williams.
_________________________________________________________________________The information in this email is confidential, please, if you are not interested destroy this message, delete any copies held on your systems immediately.You should not retain, copy or use this email for any purpose,nor disclose all or any part of its content to any other
_________________________________________________________________
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