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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: "Felix Ahmed" <felix_ahmed00@latinmail.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 15:54:19 +0100 (CET)
Subject: URGENT REPLY NEEDED.


HELLO DEAR,
=20
MY NAME IS MR FELIX AHMED, I WORK WITH A BANK HERE IN OUAGADOUGOU, BURK=
INA FASO (NAME WITHHELD FOR SECURITY REASONS).=20
=20
I HAVE URGENT AND VERY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSITION FOR YOU AS RIG=
HTLY UNVEILED BELOW. IN JANUARY 2002, AN AMERICAN OIL CONSULTANT/CONTRA=
CTOR (LEWIS ALTMAN) MADE A NUMBERED-TIME (FIXED DEPOSIT) FOR TWELVE CAL=
ENDAR MONTH VALUED AT (=A328.5 M)TWENTY EIGHT MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOU=
SAND UK POUND STERLING,
=20
UPON MATURITY I SENT A ROUTINE NOTIFICATION OF ACCOUNT STATUS TO HIS FO=
RWARDING ADDRESS BUT GOT NO REPLY. AFTER TWO MONTHS, WE SENT A REMINDER=
OF SAME LETTER, AND FINALLY WE DISCOVERED FROM HIS CONTACT EMPLOYERS, =
HALLIBURTON OIL SERVICES COMPANY THAT ENGINEER.LEWIS ALTMAN DIED IN AUT=
O CRASH.
=20
AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND OUT THAT HE DID NOT LEAVE A WILL A=
ND ALL ATTEMPTS TO TRACE HIS NEXT OF KIN WERE FRUITLESS.I THEREFORE MAD=
E FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND DISCOVERED THAT HE DID NOT DECLARE ANY NEXT=
OF KIN IN ALL HIS OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING HIS BANK DEPOSIT PAPER=
S. THIS SUM OF =A328,500,000.00 IS STILL FLOATING IN OUR BANK AND THE I=
NTEREST IS BEING ROLLED OVER WITH THE PRINCIPAL SUM AT THE END OF EACH =
YEAR.
=20
SUBSEQUENT TO THESE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO TRACK HIS LAST NAM=
E OVER THE INTERNET IN ORDER TO LOCATE ANY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY.=20
I HAVE CONTACTED YOU TO ASSIST IN SECURING THIS MONEY BEFORE THEY ARE C=
ONFISCATED OR DECLARED UNSERVICEABLE BY MY BANK. IT IS THEREFORE,=20
=20
UPON DISCOVERY THAT I DECIDED TO MAKE BUSINESS WITH YOU AND RELEASE THE=
MONEY TO YOU AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFEKEEPIN=
G AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT, SINCE NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND I DO N=
OT WANT THIS MONEY GO BACK INTO GOVERNMENT'S TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL=


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