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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: paul smith <paul_smith_700@msn.com>
Reply-To: <smith.pau1@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:25:34 +0000
Subject: From: Mr. Paul Smith



From: Mr. Paul SmithTel: +233271943590Email: smith.pau1@yahoo.com.hk
Dear Friend,How are you today? I hope all is well with you.I do understand the concern this letter will bring to you for the fact that it comes from someone strange to you. But be rest assured for it come with good intentions. However, as I was going on research, looking for responsible and trustworthy someone who can help and assist me in this business/transferring some fund out from Accra Ghana into his personal or company account overseas. I am the only son of Mr. Andrew Smith from Zimbabwe, a wealthy black farmer and senior politician with the opposition political party in my country, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Our wicked President Robert Mugabe murdered my father, before I ran away from my country because I have become his next target to eliminate. My father was a fighter for Justice and a moving force in The MDC, a party wanting to end the several years of brutal Dictatorship government of President Robert Mugabe. You will read more stories about President Mugabe's brutal acts by visiting this web site:http: //www.rte.ie/news/2000/0418/zimbabwe.html My father was accused of assisting the White farmers in fighting the government. Few weeks after his arrest, he was reported dead. The government claimed he died of heart attack and his body was never seen for proper autopsy, they buried him in the government cemetery. My father's associate Mr. Martin Olds a White farmer from Britain assisted me in fighting my father's death through the Court and media. The Government saw us as a big treat to them and decided to eliminate us. Mr. Olds was attacked and murdered in his House, but fortunately, before they came looking for me, I received the news and I left the country with my mother through the border to South Africa in order to save my life, before my arrival here in Ghana. Here is my reason for contacting you. Before the death of my father, he deposited the sum of $12,000,000.00 (Twelve million United States Dollars) with a clearing house in Ghana during when he went to Ghana to purchase his farm machinery equipment, as if he foresaw the looming danger in Zimbabwe. The money was deposited as a gem of precious stone in a metal trunk box to avoid seizure and much demurrage from the security company organization. This money was earmarked for the purchase of new machinery and chemicals for the farms and the establishment of new farms in Lesotho and Swaziland. The government seized my father's farms and banks accounts before his arrest and Murder. He told me everything concerning the funds while he was still in detention. This is why I need your assistance in securing the funds there in your Country, so that I can arrange on how to come over to your country for the investment of the fund, I am willing to offer you 30% of the US$12 Million and 70% will be for me and my family, which will also be invested in your country for the future Investment of my family, For your assistance to provide an account where the funds will be transferred into because I am faced with the dilemma of investing this amount of money in Ghana and the financial law and Regulations of this country do not permit me financial rights to such huge sum of money. In view of this, I cannot invest the funds in Ghana, Moreover; the Ghanaian monetary policy/law does not allow such investment by an asylum seeker or refugee. Please, let me know if you can assist me, so that I can give you more details on how we shall proceed. As I wait for your urgent Response, please treat this information as top secret, No one knows my where about and i want to maintain that secrecy inorder to be safe and kindly give me your mobile telephone number for more explanation and details through the phone.
Yours truly,Mr. Paul Smith


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