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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: "JOHN KOLO LAW CHAMBERS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <johnkolo@blumail.org>
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:31:24 -0700
Subject: FROM JOHN KOLO LAW CHAMBERS.

FROM THE DESK OF
JOHN KOLO LAW CHAMBERS
LEGAL SOLICITORS/PRIVATE
56 JALAN RAJA CHULAN
KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIA
 
Attention Please
 
Your e-mail address came up in a random draw conducted by my law firm JOHN KOLO Law Chambers
 
in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
 
My name is Advocate JOHN Kolo (esq.).A personal attorney to my late client Mr.Peter Smith,
 
who worked with an oil firm here in Malaysia, Mr. Peter Smith,a well known Philanthropist,
 
before he died, he made a Will in my law firm stating that $9.2M Nine million Two Hundred
 
Thousand U.S. dollars only) should be donated to any Philanthropist of our choice outside
 
Malaysia (Overseas.)
 
My chambers conducted a random draw which was supervised by the Ministry of justice, The
 
attorney General of Malaysia and the Bank
where the money was deposited by my late client Mr. Peter Smith,and your name and e-mail
 
address was picked as the beneficiary to
this (WILL).
 
I am particularly interested in securing this money from the Bank,because they have issued a
 
notice instructing my chamber to produce
the beneficiary of this Will within two weeks which happens to be you or else the money will
 
be credited to the Government treasury
as per law here in my country Malaysia.
 
It is my utmost desire to execute the Will of our late client. You are required to contact
 
me immediately to start the process of transferring this money to any of your designated
 
official bank account. I urge you to contact me immediately for further details bearing in
 
mind that the Bank has given us a date limit.contact me on this email below,
johnkolo@blumail.org
 
CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN.
Regards
Advocate John Kolo
Attorney-at-Law.

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