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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: CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS <christianw1@msn.com>
Reply-To: <christianwilliams@rediffmail.com>
Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 14:45:52 +0000
Subject: YOUR FUND IS MOVED TO THE USA CLEARING HOUSE




YOUR FUND IS MOVED TO THE USA CLEARING HOUSE

FROM : MR. CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR ATTACHED TO CBN ETC.
Email:christianwilliams@rediffmail.com
christianwilliams55@gmail.com



SUBJECT: ONLINE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT NOTICE/ YOUR FUND IS MOVED TO THE USA
CLEARING HOUSE .

ATTENTION: SIR,

MY NAMES ARE CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS, AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR ACCREDITED TO THE NIGERIA CENTRAL BANK AND OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN AFRICA.

I HAVE NOTICED YOUR CLAIM FILE , STUDIED IT AND DISCOVERRED THAT YOU CANNOT BE ABLE TO GET THE FUND RELEASED TO YOU FROM NIGERIA OR ANY OTHER PLACE BECAUSE OF THE COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY THE DIFFICULT PAYMENT CONDITIONS AND QUESTIONABLE FOREIGN PAYMENT PROCEEDURES HERE.

NOT EVEN THE TOP OFFICIALS HERE INCLUDING THE CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR AND ALL MINISTRIES AND PARASTATALS CAN HELP YOU GET THE FUND RELEASED TO YOU OWING TO THE SAME REASONS ADDUCED ABOVE. IT
WILL ONLY TAKE THE HELP OF A MAN WITH SPECIAL KNOW HOW TO BREAK INTO THE COMPLICATED TERRAIN AND GET THE FUND RELEASED TO YOU .I HAVE DECIDED AND HAVE ARRANGED AND MOVED YOUR FUND OUT OF HERE FOR PAYMENT TO YOU BY ONLINE BANKING . BECAUSE SWIFT WIRE TRANSFER WILL BE TOO COSTLY AND AT THE SAME TIME WILL EXPOSE THE FUND TO GLOBAL SCRUTINY WHICH USUALLY ATTRACTS MORE COST.

PRESENTLY THE FUND IS WITH THE US FINANCIAL CLEARING HOUSE FOR SUBSEQUENT RELEASE TO YOU AFTER THE CLEARING. YOU MUST HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY THE CLEARING HOUSE BY NOW. IF HOWEVER YOU HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY THE CLEARING HOUSE IN USA , DO WRITE AND INFORM ME SO THAT I CAN GIVE YOU THEIR CONTACT TO ENABLE YOU WRITE THEM AND REQUEST THEM TO TELL YOU WHY THEY HAVE DELAYED THE FUND RELEASE.
DO NOT TAKE OFFENCE THAT I DID NOT INFORM YOU PRIOR TO TAKING THIS STEP AS I WAS JUST TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE FUND IS MOVED TO THE CLEARING HOUSE .

NOTE THAT I AM NOT ASKING YOU FOR ANY UPFRONT PAYMENT EXCEPT FOR ENDORSEMENT FEE OF BETWEEN USD10 / USD500. ONLY.THIS HELP I AM GIVING YOU COULD BE DANGEROUS IF YOU EXPOSE IT OR DISCUSS IT WITH ANYBODY DUE TO MY POSITION.IF YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU SAFELY YOU MUST NOT EXPOSE THIS ARRANGEMENT TO ANYBODY ESLE

CONFIRM THAT YOU RECEIVED THIS MAIL NOTICE AS WELL YOUR APPRECIATION.

THANK YOU.

MR.CHRISTIAN WILLIAMS

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