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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: AMINA AHMED <mrs_aminaahmed11@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <mrs_aminaahmed@mixmail.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:34:18 +0000
Subject: Beloved Friend,



Beloved Friend, Greetings in the name of God,Pls let this not sound strange to you for my only surviving lawyer who would have done this died early this year, I prayed and got your E-mail id from your country's guestbook which i have been with my late husband and liked to visit once more if God will in his infinite mercies. I am Mrs.Amina Ahmed from Switzerland,I am 40 years old,i am suffering from a long time cancer of the lungs which also affected my brain,from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that i may not live for the next two months,this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child,my husband died in a fatal motor accident Before his death we were true believers.

Since his death, I decided not to re-marry and sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of 10million U.S dollars with a First Inland Bank. Presently, this money is still with them and the management the bank just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long will amount of lossing the money or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody of my choice to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over to them because of my illness or the money will be confisticated. Meanwhile, I'm with my laptop on my hospital bed here in london where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs and My doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.

It is my best wish to see that this money is invested to any charitable organization of your choice and us it to promote Christianity, Islam and as well distributed each year among the widows, less privilege ones, orphanages and the motherless babies home across your country. I want you as God-fearing person, to also use this money to fund mosque, church and assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein without deviating from my heart desire. I took this decision before I rest in peace due to what I gone through during my days of up bringing as an orphan because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply and information, I shall give you the contact of the First Inland Bank for you to contact them on the matter and thereafter, I will also issue you a letter of authorization that will prove you as the beneficiary of my fund. Please reply me through this my private email address:
mrs_aminaahmed@mixmail.com. Hoping to hear for your immediate reply soon. Yours in the Lord, Mrs.Amina Ahmed.
_________________________________________________________________
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