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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: "Anthony Arnold" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <tonyarnold22@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:32:42 +0200
Subject: Kindly read this important message and get back to me

A.SCRANTE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS &FINANCIALSOLICITORS
Abogados – lawyers
Calle Castillo nº 21 pta. 6º, 46009, Valencia – España.

Email: tonyarnold22@gmail.com

Tel: 011-34-666-796-472

Fax : 011-34-911-817-572

Ref…WD/218-28/4C

Date……30Th July. 2009


Dearest in mind,
Before I proceed, I must first apologize for this unsolicited mail to you. I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but you will realize the need for my action. My name is Bar. Anthony Arnold of the A.SCRANTE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS & FINANCIAL SOLICITORS. Actually, I got your contact information through your country public records while searching for a last name similar to my late client Eng. Johannes, an expatriate engineer who worked with the Mining and Smelting Company (Asturiana de Zinc S.A.) in Spain for thirteen years. He died along with his family during the Tsunami catastrophe, which occurred on Monday 27 December 2004.
Before his death, he deposited One Trunk Box/Diplomatic Personal Treasure, containing the sum of $8.752M (EIGHT MILLION AND SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS ONLY) with a security company here in Spain, but he did not disclosed the content of deposited diplomatic consignment to the security company, for security reasons. The security company has mandated me to present any family heir/inheritor for claim before the consignment gets confiscated or reverts to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, as an unclaimed diplomatic immunity. So I decided to search for any of my late client's relative which has been very difficult for me, as he did not declare any other person, address, partner or relatives in the official paper works of his diplomatic consignment deposit.

Against this backdrop, my suggestion to you is that I will like you as a foreigner to stand as the next of kin to Eng. Johannes since you both share the same last name so that the diplomatic consignment will be released to you. With my position as his lawyer, I will now place your name as the next of kin to my late client. I will prepare every relevant document that will assist your claims, and facilitate the release of the consignment.
Note that this transaction is 100% risk free. There is no atom of risk in connection to this business as I have worked out all modalities to complete the transaction successfully. Once the diplomatic consignment is released to you, we shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 50% for you as your benefit. Reply via my private email address or you can call me for further clarification. Please be kind to get back to me if you are not interested so that I can further my search for another partner.

Best Regards
Barrister Anthony Arnold Esq.

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