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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: Fatima Abu <fatima.abu52@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: fatima.abu789@yahoo.com
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:36:46 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: in good faith





Dear One,=20
=A0
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 I am writing this letter with due respect and hurtful=
of tears since we have not=20
known or met ourselves previously. I am asking for your assistance after I =
have=20
gone through your profile that speaks well of you. I will be so glad if you=
can allow=20
and lead me to the right channel towards your assistance to my situation no=
w. I will=20
make my proposal well known if I am given the opportunity. I would like to =
use=20
this opportunity to introduce myself to you.
=A0
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 I am fatima.Abu 23years old Girl and I know that this=
proposal might be=20
a surprise to you but do consider it as an emergency.In nutshell, my (late)=
father=20
Mr Saheed=A0Abu a very wealthy gold and cocoa merchant who based in Accra=
=20
and Abidjan respectively. But he was killed along side with my mother durin=
g last=20
year's Rabble attack and all his properties were totally destroyed.=20
=A0
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 However, after their death I managed to escape with a=
very important=20
document (DEPOSIT CERTIFICATE (US$10.5m) Ten million Five hundred=20
thousand U.S Dollars deposited by my late father in one of the leading Secu=
rity=20
Company which I am the next of kin. Meanwhile, I am saddled with the proble=
m=20
of securing a trust worthy foreign personality to help me transfer the mone=
y over to=20
his country and into his possession pending my arrival to meet with him.=20
=A0
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Furthermore, you can contact the Security Company for=
confirmation and I=20
will issue a letter of authorisation on your name that will enable the Secu=
rity=20
Company to deal with you on my behalf. I am giving you this offers as menti=
oned=20
with every confidence on your acceptance to assist me or take me as your ch=
ild=20
and manage the money. I am inclined to offer you 15% of the total sum as a =
mode=20
of compensation for your effort after the successful transferring of these =
fund to=20
your nominated account overseas Conclusively.
=A0
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
Fatima =A0Abu=0A=0A=0A _______________________________________________=
___________________=0ALooking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr=
! =0A=0Ahttp://www.flickr.com/gift/

Anti-fraud resources: