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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: "Anthony Williams" <anthonywilliams@indiatimes.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:33:17 +0100
Subject: STRICTLY PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

PRIVATE EMAIL:     anthonywilliams09@live.com  OR   anthonywilliams@indiatimes.com
Dear friend,
Please pardon the abruptness of this letter; it is due to its urgency. This letter is personal, intimate and confidential. There will absolutely be great doubt and distrust in your heart in respect of this email, coupled with the fact that so many miscreants have taken possession of the Internet to facilitate their nefarious deeds, hereby making it extremely difficult for genuine purposes. There is no other way for me to know whether I will be properly understood, but I have to reach out to you For I know that there will be one that can be trusted.
I am Anthony Williams, the Senior Accountant and member of the contract award committee of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). I am writing on behalf of my colleagues in the NNPC and have been mandated to seek for the assistance of a reliable and trustworthy foreign partner through whom we can transfer the sum of US$10,000,000.00 (TEN MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS).This fund is currently deposited in one of the Banks in United Kingdom.
The sum arose from the deliberate over-invoicing of a contract awarded in 2004 by the NNPC to a foreign Japanese firm called Chiyoda Engineering  Corporation for the construction  and turn around maintenance of WARRI AND PORT-HARCOURT OIL REFINERY  in southern part of Nigeria. This contract has been completely executed and commissioned and the contractor that handled this contract has collected his final payment due for the contract, thus leaving behind the above stated amount which represents the over-invoiced sum.
We have been safeguarding this money waiting for conducive time for it to be finally utilized. The current favorable political climate in the country since the assumption of duty by the new government presented an opportunity for this money to be finally utilized. There is no risk involved at all.
All you do is provide (1). Your full name and phone/fax ( 2). Your profession (3) Full banking details and we pay in gradually you withdraw and we share and we pay in again that is all. You take 20% of the fund and send 80% to myself and my colleague as we will be responsible for all expenses. All the process that will lead to paying into your account you will not be asked to pay anything.
So you can take care of your expenses and depts. We choose gradual payment method as huge one straight deposit will attract the law.
Everything will not exceed more than two weeks as we are already in UK and have all the necessary logistics have been concluded.  THIS MESSAGE IS FOR EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES PLEASE.
Very Sincerely,
Anthony Williams.
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