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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: "maureen_umoetok@cantv.net" <maureen_umoetok@cantv.net>
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:20:48 -0430
Subject: Please Your Bank Account Information

Dearest
Please thank you for your email response ,I am Maureen Umoetok Single lady, I am age 34 years old Please I promised to send my pictures in my next mail for you ,and i expect you to send me same after you have read through this email. Please kindly go through more details of me and see what you can help me out with this tide situation that have befallen me,i really really need your urgent attention Please help.

My Father Dr Uboro U. Umoetok was a serving Director of the Cocoa exporting board until his death .He was assassinated  by the Rebels following the Political uprising that erupted the country where I am ,But Before his death he had a foreign account abroad, where he made a deposit up to the tune of Euro 10.5 Million Euro (Ten  Million Five Hundred Thousand Euro), was Deposited which he made the Bank management to know that the money was for the importation of cocoa processing machines.Please I am pleading for your bank account information to enable the immediate transfer of this fund from the account abroad into your bank account whereby you are going to invest for me. I will want to offer you 30% of the total sum which in return you will invest this fund for me.
I will send you more details as soon as I have your response and your bank account details with my pictures .
Thank you and God Bless you
Maureen Umoetok

Anti-fraud resources: