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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Awah Damaru" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <awahdamaru@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:13:58 -0000
Subject: READ URGENT NOTIFICATION

Greetings from Awah,
 
With all due respect, I want you to read my letter with one mind and help me. I am Awah Damaru  the only child of late Mr. and Mrs. Damaru, My Late father was a very wealthy cocoa dealer in Abidjan, the economic capital of Cote D'Ivoire before he was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their outing to discuss on a business deal.
When my mother died when I was a baby since then my father took me so special because I am motherless, before the death of my father on 22nd October, 2009 in a private hospital here in Abidjan.
He secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum of USD10, 500,000.00 Ten million Five Hundred United States dollars left in a suspense account in a local bank here in Abidjan, that he used my name as his only daughter for the next of kin in deposit of the fund.
 
He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates, that I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money and use it for investment purpose ,(such real estate agent), Am 19year old.
 
  Dear, I am honorably seeking your assistance in the following ways.
 
   To provide any bank account where this money would be transferred into. 
 
   To serve as the guardian of this fund.
 
   To make arrangement for me to come over to your country to further my education and to secure a residential permit for me in your country.  Moreover, dear, I am willing to offer you twenty percent of the total sum as compensation for your effort input after the successful transfer of this fund to your nominated account oversea. I want you to help me not because of the twenty percent of my inheritance of USD10, 500,000.00 but because of my life to live better life in your country. I will be waiting urgently for your respond for more details to proceed to receive my inheritance in your account.
 
Hope to hear from you immediately
Thanks And GOD Blessing, Best regards, 
Awah Damaru

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