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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: "Setor de Nosologia" <senos@hc.ufu.br>
Reply-To: capt.allenharris@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2009 23:02:18 -0200
Subject: URGENT

Hello,

I know this letter will definitely come to you as a huge surprise, I am Capt
Allen Harris, a US Marine, serving in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment
which Patrols the Anbar province, Iraq. I am desperately in need of
assistance and I have summoned up courage to contact you. I am presently in
Iraq and I found your contact particulars in an address journal. I am seeking
your assistance to evacuate the sum of $10,570,000 (Ten million Five Hundred
and Seventy Thousand USD) to the States or any safe country; as far as I can
be assured that it will be safe in your care until I complete my service
here. This is no stolen money and there are no dangers involved. Contact me
so that I can furnish you with more details.

Respectfully,
Semper Fi
Allen A. Harris.
U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Captain,
Anbar Province IRAQ.

Anti-fraud resources: