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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: princessnkiru kalu23 <princessnkirukalu23@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:14:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: URGENT HELP


DEAR,
 
My name is PRINCESS NKIRU KALU I am 20yrs old and a student.Please I  would like you to assist me as urgent as you can before they kill me.My father is a wealthy King in our province. Trouble began early last year when my father's associates began suspecting that my father is not giving  proper accounts of all the money being paid by Oil company(Shell)for compasension of youth in our area for development. This mistrust deepens between  oct-sept,2004  when there was news that my father depoited big some of money in a security  company.
 
As a result of this discovery and the enviness of the money,he was poisioned by his associates. At his hospital bed, he revealed to me the reasons of  his sickness.He directed me where to get the documents of the said deposit, that he made me the next of kin being the only child.He advise me that if he dies, that I should not stay in the country be cause his associates will equally kill me hence my mother died five yrs  ago of breast cancer. He dircted me if he dies that I should look for a foreign partner who will help me to transfer the money into the person's  account and the person will help me to invest the money in that country.
Since the death of my father, I was out of school and went into hiding because  of my father's associates. All the relevant documents of the $5,350,000,00(Five  million three hundred and fifty thousand U.S dollars) that was deposited  in a security company are with me now. I am ready to give you 20% of this money,if  you can help me bring out this money from the security company and transfer  it into your account for onward investment in your country.
 
Please contact me immediately with the above E-mail address and include your telephone and Fax number to enable me send you necessary document
as regards the money before they kill me.
Please this transaction is 100% risk free.
I'm waiting for your urgent reply.
Best regards,
PRINCESS NKIRU KALU



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