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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: "DR.MARK JOHN" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mark_john00974@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:27:55 -0700
Subject: URGENT FROM DR.MARK JOHN

Dr.mark john
Lagos-Nigeria.
Reply to:markjohn0088@yahoo.com.hk
ATTN: Sir /Madam

Dear Sir/Madam,


I know this will come to you as a surprise but never mind, I got your Contact
in my search for a reputable and trust worthy person/Company, Who can stand
confidently with me in this successful business Arrangement.Before I proceed, I
will like to introduce my humble self to you

I am the Auditor General of a Government Accredited Oil Company here in
Nigeria . Certainly, the prompting of this letter to you is anchored on my
strong desire to solicit your sincere understanding and co-operation in this
Transaction that would certainly boost the financial stand of both parties
involved when completed. As a matter of fact, we want to transfer to overseas
(US$ 52,000.000.00 USD) fifty two million Unite States Dollars) from the Oil
Company's operating Bank account here in Africa, I want you to quietly Look for
a reliable and honest person who will be capable and fit to Provide either an
existing bank account or to set up a new Bank A/C Immediately to receive this
money, even an empty account can serve to Receive this money, as long as you
will remain honest
to me till the end Of this important transaction, trusting in you and believing
in God That you will Never let me down either now or in the near future.

In all honesty, during the course of our auditing I discovered a Floating fund
of the above mentioned amount in account opened with the Bank in 1990 and since
then; nobody has operated on this account again, After going through some old
files in the records I discovered that the Money in the account was mapped out
for the refurbishment of the Oil Company's Machineries. Meanwhile, Mr. Magnus
Leon, the President of the Oil Company was the only signatory to the account,
but unfortunately he died after a brief Illness in 1993. And no other person
knows about this account or any Thing concerning it, and the account has no
other beneficiary. And my investigation proved to me that Mr. Magnus Leon,
until his death Had wanted to siphoned that money into his personal account in
New York Hence he did not disclose the operating devises of the account to the
Board of Trustees

I am only contacting you in this regard, based on the fact that you are A
foreigner because, this money can only be approved to any foreigner Who can
present all documents that will prove that he/she is the Next of
Kin/Beneficiary to the account base on the fact that Mr. Magnus Leon The owner
of this account is a foreigner, and the money can only be approved into a
foreign bank Account. Therefore, if you are capable of handling this
transaction with me, lets Make the necessary arrangement for the hitch-free
transfer of this Money to any safe bank account that you may nominate, on a
share Percentage bases. However, we shall sign a binding agreement, to bind us
together as partners in this regard.

I am revealing this to you with believe in God that you will never let Me down
in this business, you are the first and the only person that I Am contacting
for this business, so please reply urgently and indicate Your sincere interest,
so that I can inform you on the modalities Already mapped out for the hitch-
free transfer of the money out of Africa here. I will require your direct phone
and fax number for easy contacting you I need your full co-operation to make
this work adequately. Upon your Positive response and once I am convinced that
you are capable and Willing to meet up with the instructions of the top bank
official that is deeply involved with me in this business, I shall commence
actions Immediately to process the payment of the money in your favor as the
Beneficiary With my influence and the position of the bank official we can
transfer This money to any reliable foreign bank account, which you can provide.

I am looking forward in anticipation to hearing from you soon as
Possible.
Yours truly,

DR MARK JOHN
PLEASE SEND YOU REPLY TO MY CONFIDENTIAL EMAIL ADDRESS ONLY


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