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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: hilda kofigo <hilkof3@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <hildak001@yahoo.fr>
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:08:16 +0100
Subject: Compliments



BANK DE COMMERCE CI
VILLE ille 03 RUE DE COMMERCEBP 22551, 0 CINQABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE.
Your attn:
It's my pleasure to contact for a business transaction which will benefit the both of us. I am Ms Hilda Kofigo (Due Process Officer) - BANK DE COMMERCE, Abidjan, Cote d'ivoire.
Could you kindly go through the details here below:
My office discovered a floating fund of original deposit of U.S$6.2M (six million two hundred thousand United States Dollars). The depositor of this fund had died in an auto crash here in Cote d'ivoire and in our last auditting we discovered that he did not specify any name in his file as his next of kin neither did he WILL this fund to any family relative or business associate. I are priviIedged to have access to this information as regards my position in the bank. So after due study of the files I find out that I can contact you and present you to our bank so that the fund can be transfered to you as the deceased's next of kin/business associate. There is absolutely no risk in this transaction both now and afterwards as all the informations to perfect claims of this fund is in my possession and will be relayed to you as soon as you indicate acceptance to work with me towards concluding the transaction and receiving the funds into your own bank account.
I am working in the bank and will give you directives on how to proceed and have this fund successfully and legally remitted into your norminated bank account within the shortest possible time. As soon as this fund is secured into your account I will furnish you informations on how to open a non resident bank accounts in my name and get my shares duely transfered into it, or I can apply for visa and visit you in your country to have my shares deposited into offshore accounts. I am prepared to offer you 20% of this fund if you accept to work in confidence and truth with me.
Do please indicate your interest urgently so that I can furnish you details of procedure.

Best regards,Hilda Kofigo
_________________________________________________________________
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