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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: "Leonard Peter D. Wilson" <peterdaniel56@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: leonardwilson1@hotmail.fr
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:06:23 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Hello my good friend,



Hello my good friend,
I pray that this email reaches you in the best of health. In this good Year, I present my best wishes to you and your family with blessings, goodness and mercy. This letter may come to you as a surprise due to the fact that we have not yet met. The message could be strange but it's real if you pay some attention to it.  I want to notify you about it at least for the sake of your integrity. In a brief introduction, I am Leonard Wilson, the Director of Operation with Financial Bank Benin.  I have a very interesting transaction to discuss with you.The business under discussion has to do with our late Customer who is a nationality of your country and was employed as a Consultant with (SONACOP) oil Company in Cotonou Republic of Benin.

I managed to get your contact details through the Internet search because time is of importance to it and I am desperately looking for a person to assist me pull this money out from the bank before our corrupt government officials will confiscate the money and use it for their selfish interest. On Thursday, December 25, 2003, our late customer and his wife including their only daughter were involved in Air-Crash near the Atlantic Ocean in Cotonou suburb. (May their gentle soul rest in peace) Since then I have made several inquiries to the Embassy in a bid to locate any relation of the deceased customer, All attempts to reach the next of kin to the deceased has been futile as he had no family here in Benin Republic. 

Hence my decision to contact you, I want you and I to go into partnership, the nature of your business is completely irrelevant to this transaction as all I need from you is an assurance that my interest will be fully protected once the funds is transferred to your account. The late customer made a numbered time (fixed) deposited for twelve calendar and his account with our Bank accrues to about (Eight Million, Five hundred and Fifty- Two Thousand US Dollars) (USDM8.552,000.00), According to the Benin Law, at the expiration of (Six years) the money will revert to the ownership of the Benin government if nobody applies to claim the funds.

I have used my position here in the bank as the Director of Operation to transfer the total funds into a separate account and instructed the foreign remittance department to release the funds as soon as any of his relative applies for the claim.  My proposal is, I will like you as a foreigner to apply as the next of kin to the late customer so that the fruits of this old man's labour will not get into the hands of some corrupt government officials who will later use the money to sponsor war in Africa and kill innocent citizens in the search for political power/seat.

Note that there will be no problem at all, my position as the Director of Operation guarantees the successful execution of this transaction within 7 Banking days and the money will be transferred into your account, then I will come over to your country for us to share in the ratio of 40% for you and 60% for me. This is very simple, I will like you to reply immediately so that I can send you the Text of application which you will apply to the bank as the next of kin to the Late Customer and I will use my good position in the bank as the Director of Operation to make sure that the application is approved for immediate payment into your account. 

You should reply as soon as possible and send me your private phone, or mobile numbers for easier correspondence.

You can call me at +22993-232436
I look forward to hearing from you
Best Regards.
Leonard Wilson.



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