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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: "George Fregene" <gfregene4@ig.com.br>
Reply-To: georgefregene@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 01:52:27 -0700
Subject: Attention Please


Sir,


My name is George Fregene. The purpose of my writing you is anchored on an
impending sum of Sixty six Million United States Dollars (US$66M) now lying
in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) waiting to be transferred abroad.


This money was gotten through a deliberate over-invoicing of a contract
awarded to some foreign firms to expand the Kainji Termal Power Generating
Station, Egbin Power Station and the Afam Power Station to increase the
energy generation for the country and its West African neighbours.
Fortunately, I was made the Chairman of the contract award committee, in the
course of the vetting, some of my colleagues agreed with me that the
contract sums be inflated for our mutual sharing after the original
contractors have been paid.


Now, this contract was awarded between 2000-2007 by the last civilian
dispensation and the contract has been successfully executed, completed and
commissioned under the administration of immediate past civilian President,
Olusegun Obasanjo. The original contractors have been paid leaving the
over-invoiced sum of US$66M floating in the CBN. All we need therefore is a
foreigner in whose name we can apply and transfer the above sum in his/her
account for our mutual sharing since going by the civil service rules and
public procurement acts, we cannot keep money of such magnitudes locally in
our accounts since we are civil servants and the contracts being executed by
foreigners. Remember, the nature of your job does not count in this
instance.


All we need from you is your name, address, Telephone/fax numbers including
cell phone number if any and your banking details such as your bank name,
address, telephone/fax and your bank account number wherein this money will
be transferred into. This transaction is 100% risk free if you keep it
secret on your own side and will be concluded within 7 working days of
receiving the above requested. 10% of the total sum will be your share for
your assistance in providing your bank account and also your taking care of
the local and international expenses that might be incurred, in the course
of this transaction, while 90% of the total sum will be for us and will be
left in your account till we resign and come over for you to advise us on a
lucrative venture we will invest in your country.


Therefore, if you are interested, do let me know through my private email:
georgefregene@ig.com.br to clarify you more. As soon as I receive your mail
we will proceed immediately to procure the necessary approval for the
release of the above sum into your account.


Yours faithfully,
George Fregene

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