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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

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:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "gmelina 1" <gmelina1@googlemail.com>
Reply-To: jamescjcj@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 05:32:21 -0800
Subject: KINDLY READ MY MESSAGE AND GET BACK TO ME:FROM:JAMES CHRISTIAN


KINDLY READ MY MESSAGE AND GET BACK TO ME:FROM:JAMES CHRISTIAN

Dear Friend ,

This is a proposal in context but actually an appeal soliciting for
your unreserved assistance in consummating an urgent transaction
requiring maximum confidence. Though this approach appears desperate,
I can assure you that whatever questions you would need to ask or any
other thing you will need to know regarding this proposal will be
adequately answered to give you a clearer understanding of it, so as
to arrive at a successful conclusion.

I am ,James Christian,a personal secretary/confidant to my late boss
,a national of your country, who used to work with a multi-national
Company in my country. On the 21st of April 2001, my boss, his wife
and their only daughter were involved in a car accident along
Kano/Kaduna,express road. All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately
lost their lives.

Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy here to
locate any of my boss' extended relatives, this has also proved
unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to
track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his
family hence I contacted you.

I have contacted you to assist in recovering the fund valued at US$2.5
million left behind by my boss before it gets confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the SECURITY FINANCE BANK, where this huge amount was
deposited. Consequently, the bank issued me a notice to provide the
next of kin or have the account confiscated within a short time.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over some
years now,I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the
deceased since you share the same surname so that the proceeds of the
account valued at U.S$2.5 million can be paid to your account for both
of us to share the funds;50% to me and 45% to you, while 5% should be
for expenses or tax as your government may
require.

Necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for
claim shall be procured. All I require from you is your honest
cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee
that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law.

Please get in touch with me through my e-mail to enable us discuss further.

Thanks for your kind co-operation.

Dr.James Christian.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam