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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: "Alex Bearman" <"alex..bearman"@lawyer.com>
Reply-To: alex.bearman@blumail.org
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:05:07 +0000
Subject: Reference!!!

Good-day!

My name is Mr. Alex Bearman a solicitor/Britain Counsel and a financial
consultant. I represent the interest of a client (Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra), an
investor whom as a result of the sensitive nature of the position he occupies
under the past government in Thailand, coupled with the recent political and
economic crises in his country where Thailand Criminal Court judges against
my client and Prosecutors in Thailand have asked a court permanently to seize
$1.4bn in frozen assets belonging to the former prime minister.

View More Of The Story Here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1108114.stm

I am making this contact with you on the strength of this my client’s need
for an individual such as you, who will be willing to receive/invest his
asset (money) on his behalf, and then invest this money for making profit in
accordance with the foreign direct investment regulations in your country.
Your role as a partner will be to devise the necessary business plan based on
your knowledge of the domestic economy in your country. To oversee the day to
day management of the business that will be established there in your country
with this capital (U.S$15,000,000Million).

The establishment of this joint business venture with the above mentioned
fund will be carried out in a manner consistent with the prevailing
international laws and that of your country guiding such an investment. In
the event that you are willing to work with me on this project as a partner,
please do let me know urgently.

Thanks for your co-operation on this matter!

Sincerely Yours,

Mr. Alex Bearman
alex.bearman@lawyer.com

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