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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: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: mariam_mamemiss@yahoo.fr
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 10:55:25 -0300
Subject: With Due respect


With Due respect

With Due respect I humbly write to solicit for your partnership and
assistance in the transfer and investment of my inheritance fund USD$17.5M
from my late father who died mysteriously last Dec.

It was very evident that he was poisoned to death. In my culture, when a man
dies, if he does not have a male child, the brothers shares his property
leaving both the wife and the daughters empty handed including the house
they live in. This is the exact case with me as I am the only daughter of my
father. I lost my mother when I was barely a year old and my father refused
to re-marry another wife because he felt solely responsible for my mother's
death.

This is so because he concentrated much on his businesses that he rarely
pays attention to domestic affairs. He was always travelling taking care of
his businesses that he did not notice when my mother took ill. He thought it
was a minor illness and was ignorant of this. My mother on her own resorted
to self-medication. It was not until the illness degenerated that my father
took my mother to hospital where she was diagnosed to find out that
hypatitis had eaten deep into her blood stream. She didn't last long before
she died. This happened when I was barely a year old. Based on this, my
father could not forgive himself easily because of it and said he was
responsible for her death as he could have saved her if only he had paid
attention to the things at home rather than concentrating much on his
businesses.

Despite all entreaties by friends and relatives, he refused to remarry but
ensured that I had everything that I wanted. It was as a result of this that
he made me the next of kin to his fund
deposit with the bank and stated that in the event of any eventuality, I
should have a direct access to the fund only when I am 24 years of age
otherwise, I should have a guardian/partner intercede on my behalf for the
release of the funds to me. Unfortunately, he died late last year and I am
21 years of age currently. This is why I have contacted you to serve as a
guardian to me and as my foreign partner for the transfer and investment of
the fund overseas My uncles does not know about the fund because they had
already taken my father's houses and other properties because I am a girl
and they said I do not have rights for any property. They have requested to
have my father's bank papers but I simply told them that I do not know
where he kept them. The younger brother took the house in the village while
the houses in the town were sold out they shared the proceed they got from
the sale. Right now, I am with a friend of mine and do sincerely want to
travel out of my country. This can only happen when I have secured the
release and transfer of the funds in the bank.

This why it is important that we have a plan on the type of lucrative
business that we can invest the funds on.

I had at various times had discussions with the director of international
remittance unit of the bank where my father deposited the funds and I was
assured that once, I have someone who would be willing to receive the funds
on my behalf, they shall commence all proceedings to effect the release and
transfer of the funds into the person's designated account. Now, that you
have signified your interest to partner with me, it would only be very
necessary if you contact the bank and request for the release and transfer
of my inheritance fund into your nominated account for the purpose of
investment and to further have me come over to your country to continue with
my studies.

I shall be giving you the bank's contact details as soon as I hear back from
you so that you will go ahead and contact the bank.


Your urgent response will be appreciated,


Talk to you the more.
Sincerely,
Mariam Abdullah

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