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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: FRED MANE <manef001@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <fmane23@yahoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:29:27 +0200
Subject: PLEASE WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE



DEAR RESPECTFUL ONE I KNOW THIS LETTER MAY COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE SINCE THIS IS MY INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE. MY NAME IS FRED MANE THE SON OF THE LATE MR AND DESMOND MANE .MY LATE FATHER WAS GOLD AND COCOA DEALER BASED IN ACCRA-GHANA AND ABIDJAN-COTE D’IVOIRE, HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR BUSINESS TRIPS. BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN ABIDJAN- COTE D’IVOIRE, HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS THE SUM OF (US$8.500.000.00) SEALED IN A TRUNK BOX AND DEPOSITED IN ONE OF THE PRIME SECURITY CUSTODY IN ABIDJAN- COTE D’IVOIRE, THAT HE USED MY NAME AS HIS SON FOR THE NEXT OF KIN IN DEPOSITING THE BOX.HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. HE WARNED ME THAT ON NO ACCOUNT I SHOULD REVEAL THE CONTENT OF THE BOX TO THIS CUSTODY BECAUSE HE DID NOT DEPOSITED IT AS MONEY RATHER AS HOSPITAL EQUIPMENT.HE ADVISED ME TO SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHO WILL HELP ME RETREIVE THIS BOX FROM THIS SECURITY HOUSE AND FOR ONWARD INVESTMENT. I AM HUMBLY SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS. 1)I WANT YOU TO INDICATE YOUR FULL INTEREST IN ASSISTING ME SO THAT I WILL ADVISE ON YOU THE NEXT THING TO DO. 2)TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND SINCE I AM 25 YEARS OLD .3)TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY, TO SECURE RESIDENTIAL PERMIT FOR ME AND INITIATE THE TYPES OF VIABLE VENTURES TO INVEST. I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 15% OF THE TOTAL MONEY AS YOUR SHARE FOR ASSISTING ME AND ANOTHER 5% FOR ANY EXPENSES THAT OCCURE DURING THIS PPROJECT. I AWAIT YOUR URGENT E-MAIL MESSAGE AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVED THIS PROPOSAL YOURS SINCERELY, FRED MANE
_________________________________________________________________
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