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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: Letter From Felix <felixnderson197@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:17:37 +0000
Subject: Hello Dear


Dear ,Please help me l'm in serious problem now and i preffer you as =
foreigner to standby me as my relations or partner outside my country to be =
in good relationship with honesty.
I hope you will never betray me at last, My most required concern is for you =
to recognised me as your best friend while establishing a long lasting =
relationship for our future.

Since the assassination of my late father by unknown gunmen, my life has been =
uncomfortable here in my country, and also because my uncle who is called =
Alex is very wicked and is trying to claim most of my father=92s local =
valuable properties and bank accounts in my country since after my father=92s =
burial. I am contacting you because my late father warned to be careful about =
him in the letter he left for me. So my dear, i want to explain my secret to =
you and i don=92t want any other person in my country or elsewhere to hear =
about this my father secrets . This is because I wouldn=92t want anyone =
including my uncle to know about this money, because if he knows that my =
father has such amount of money deposited outside my country my life would be =
in danger.

I would like you and me to see face to face so we would trust each other =
more, and together go to the Security and finance company where my father =
deposited this money and release it, and i have with me all the deposit =
documents of the money and my father told me all secret about his money he =
deposit outside our country .
My aim of contacting you is to assist me in two ways, first to help and =
transfer this money to your country and secondly to help me get a profitable =
business for investment in your country or any where in overseas all is base =
on your professional advice and acceptance to assist me. I can send copies of =
the deposit documents if you wish.
Please, i wait for your reply to know if you accept to help me . and feel =
free to ask any question you might need to know about me .
>From .
Felix

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