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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: "Mallam Mustapha" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mustaphamallam73@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2011 13:37:23 -0500
Subject: [GSN Suspected Spam] 09/08/2011

Hello,

Thank you for your response.I will intimate you on the transaction as follows: The funds in question is presently contained in 2 trunk boxes deposited with a security company in Europe but the officials of the security company do not know the real contents of the trunks.They feel that the trunks contain personal effects and we shall keep it so until i advise otherwise. I need your assistance in the sense that you will pose as the beneficiary of the trunks and help us travel to the Europe and pick up the trunks.You will keep them safely for us until a time when we will meet with you and share the contents as earlier agreed in my mail to you.Please note that we are putting a lot of trust in you and we hope that you will not do otherwise.We have been duped in the past by close friends and relatives that have given out our information to our government and hence we chose to do this last one with a foreigner.

I want you to please call me on my number +23418503217 (it is open 7 days a week and 24hours for this transaction) and please when you call ask me for the password and i will say AUGUST before any conversation.If you do not hear this password,drop the phone and try again later.This is only a security check to make sure you are talking to the right person.We must be very security conscious so as not to jeopardise this transaction.I will also remind you that you keep this transaction very confidential as it involves my family's last hope for survival.

EMAIL ME YOUR FULL HOME ADDRESS SO THAT THE ATTORNEY CAN GET STARTED WITH THE LEGAL DOCUMENTATION TO MAKE YOU THE BENEFICIARY.

Mallam Mustapha.
+23418503217

N.B:All documents of deposit bear my name as depositor so we will need legal documentation to show that you are beneficiary ok.

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