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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: "GRACE S." (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gracesmith20002@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:36:23 -0700
Subject: Dear Friend,,

Dear Friend,,

My name is Grace S. Smith; I am 24 years old, from London -England, where I
school and work as a fashion designer for part time job during after my school.
I am the only daughter of my parents my father died on a fatal auto accident on
his way to see my sick mother at the hospital where she was admitted for Cancer
treatments, she also die when she heard about the death of my father in same day
and hospital.

Before the death of my father, he had willed part of his Real Estate Business,
Gas Stations and a total sum of ?50,700,000.00(Fifty Million, Seven Hundred
Thousand Pounds Sterling) to me. Now at the of my fathers death, things has
become very hard for me paying my school fees, putting food on the table and
taking care of my other needs which my fashion designer work I do as a part time
work after my school can’t help, I went to the bank where my late father
deposited the funds on my behalf to with-draw money to take care of my self and
pay for my school fees and other bills.

I was shocked when the Bank Manager explained to me that I will not be able to
with-draw from the deposited money, because my father had put a clause on the
Will, which he used in depositing the funds with them, saying that before I will
be given access to the money, I will either have to be 30 years old or I will be
given access to the money, if only i get married before the age of 30 , in
which case, my husband will be legible to collect the money on my behalf by
standing in as my late fathers next of kin to claim the deposited funds on my
behalf.

Today I am only 24 years old. And I have no access to the money till I'm 30
years. So, I’m contacting you to stand as my husband to claim this fund on my
behalf if you are married already, you can still help me by standing in as my
late father’s next of kin to the deposited funds. So, please get back to me as
to know how you will be remunerated as I will part with 40% of the total
sum?50,700,000.00 (Fifty Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling),while
10% will be mapped out for any expenses that we're to use to receive the
money from the deposited Bank.

Please remember that I am writing you this email purely on the ground of trust
so we can achieve this deal together. This transaction will last for two weeks
after you get back to me on how serious you are to claim these funds on my
behalf.

Please reply to my alternative E-mail: gracesmith20002@gmail.com

Yours Truly,
Grace S. Smith

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