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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: Maseko Williams <williamsmaseko0008@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <williamsmaseko1950@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:55:41 +0100
Subject: I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUICK REPLY



FROM THE MANAGER CREDIT & FOREIGN BILLS.
ABSA BANK SOUTH AFRICAHARTFIELD,PRETORIA SOUTH AFRICA .ATTENTION: Sir/Madam,My name is Mr. Williams Maseko the Manager, Credit and Foreign bills of ABSABANK SOUTH AFRICA . I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of ourbank with account number -908-14-255-114 whose name is withheld, a national of your country who died in a plane crash[Korean Air Flight 801] with thewhole passengers onboard on August 6, 1997.And for your perusal you can view this web site.
(CNN - List of passengers aboard Korean Air Flight 801 - August 6, 1997 )Since the demise of this customer, I personally have watched with keeninterest to see the next of kin to this customer, but all has provedabortive as no one has come to claim his funds of US$33.5M (Thirty-Three Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which has been with our branch for a very long time. On this note, I decided to seek for whom his name shall be used as the Next of Kin as no one has come up as his next of kin.

And the banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than expiration of certain years, because the money will be recalled to the bank treasury as unclaimed fund after certain period. In view of this I got your contact through a trade journal when I was making a research on a foreigner I will use in this great opportunity. For your assistant I and my colleague are willing to give you 20% of the total amount.
Upon the receipt of your response, I will send you by fax the letter of application which you will re-type sign and send back to our bank to enable us start the processing of this claim. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is hitch free and that you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for the smooth and easy transfer of this fund has been finalized, this transaction will be completed within five banking days of receiving your response, after you apply to the bank as a relation to the deceased.

I will use my position to fasten the release and transfer of this customers money to you as the next of kin. When you receive this letter. Kindly reply me in signifying your decision. Please include your private Tel/Fax numbers for quick communication.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Williams Maseko.Manager, Credit and Foreign BillsAbsa Bank South
_________________________________________________________________
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