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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: gud luk <good.1215@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <gooluckobi1@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:24:15 +0100
Subject: Thanks for your anitucipated coperation....



FROM THE DESK OF GOODLUCK OBI. SUPERVISORY OFFICER OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE ,COUTONOU, BENIN REPUBLIC.
Dear Friend, I am the SUPERVISORY OFFICER OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE here in Coutonou Benin Republic. In my department we discovered an abandoned sum of US$10.5m dollars (TEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED US DOLLARS) in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customer (MR. ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany) who died along with his entire family in July 2000 in a plane crash. We have safed the money with a security company gere in Coutonou.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THIS SITE BELLOWhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting hisnext of kin to come over and claim his money because we cannot release it unless some body applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our guidelines and laws but unfortunately we learnt that all his supposed next of kin or relation died along side with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind for the claim. It is therefore upon this discovery that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since we have decided to save this money for ourselves for onward transfering of the said funds abroad since we cannot bank this money here under our laws, The request of a foreigner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and a Coutonounean cannot stand as next of kin to a foreigner. I agree fpr an agreed percentage of this money in respect to the accepting of this money for keeps until we come for sharing as agreed., I will visit your country for disbursement according to the agreement indicated Thereafter,
We will need your direct private telephone and fax numbers for easy and effective communication, Your mailing address and profession . Upon receipt of your reply, I will responp asap with more infos.
I will not fail to bring to your notice this transaction is hitch-freeand that you should not entertain any atom of fear as all requiredarrangements have been properly aranged.
Thanks for your anticipated coperation and Hope to read from you soon. Goodluck Obi.

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