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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: Mitta Yuri <mitta45yurici@yahoo.co.jp>
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:38:17 +0800 (SGT)
Subject: From Mrs Mitta Yuri.


From Mrs Mitta Yuri.

Good Day,


My name is MRS. MITTA YURI; I am a widow and a mother of 3 children, (all girls). I know you will see my letter to you as an embarrassment considering the fact that we do not know ourselves but I plead with you to read this letter to understand my present predicament. Well, I feel very pleased to contact you for some assistance. I am a citizen of Ivory Coast. My late husband was a member of the opposition party to the last administration and was killed by the government troops that are loyal to Laurent Gbagbo the formers president of ivory coast that lost the November 28th 2010 presidential election and refused to step down but was finally forced out of power by the help of the France soldiers and united nation after 4 months of civil strife where over 3,000 people was killed and thousands displaced.

After the burial of my beloved husband his family members insisted that I am not entitled to his property (Assets and money in bank) since I am a woman and my offspring's all girls as I do not have a male child for my late husband. Well, according to these barbaric traditional laws here in this part of Africa which doesn't entitled a woman to inherit a man's property, as they are expected by tradition to take over the management of his business and other properties including myself will automatically becomes a wife to one of his immediate brothers.

My reason for contacting you and need your involvement was that after the meeting with my late husband family I was annoyed with their decision and decided to go back to my family, the next day when I was packing my belongings I discovered some document that bears a security company name and the document indicated that my late husband deposited the total sum of US$10million and I was made the next of kin. I have since discovered the security company in Abidjan the economy city and need you to stand for me as my late husband business partner in overseas to claim the fund on my behalf so that I will be able to take care of my children's educational needs since my late husband's family members vehemently opposed the furtherance of their education. I only disclosed this information with the man of GOD (pastor) who has been helping us since the death of my dear husband and he advised that the best way to secure this money is to remit it to a foreign bank
account designate for safe-keeping, later it will be expended for future business investment subject to the advice of whosoever finally assists us. At this juncture, I therefore ask for your kindest and sincere assistance in providing us with your bank account information according to what the pastor advised.

Please if you are in a position to help me and children, reply me immediately as I have handed the document over to the pastor for safety. I am waiting for your urgent reply.

Thanks and best regards.
Mrs Mitta Yuri

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