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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: "Mrs. Cole" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <¨paldave056@aim.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:51:18 -0400
Subject: Re: With Regards;

Greetings to you dear,

As you read through this message, I do not want you to feel pity or sorry for me, for I believe someday, somehow, we all must die; this is about mine last wish.

My name is Mrs Sarah Cole, a Citizen of the United Kingdom, I am a 62 years old woman, I am diagnosed of Cancer of the Larynx and it is terminal, medical science can not do anything for me at this stage. I believe in miracles because I believe in GOD; however I prefer to pass on at this stage since I am bed ridden and in constant pain.

Before now, my business and concern for making money was all I lived for, I never really cared about other values of life. But since my illness, I have found a new desire to assist helpless families and the destitute. Recently, I have made donations to orphanages and motherless homes in war ravaged Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Haiti.

Having come to terms with my condition, I have decided to entrust the bulk money I deposited with an asset management firm here in England ($ 8.7 MILLION) to either a philanthropist or devoted individual that will use his judgement to distribute the money to charity organizations, orphanages etc, and could keep 20 percent of the money as compensation for the assistance as well as to cover any cost you incur during the process of collecting and distributing the money to charity organizations. I have left the hospital and presently at home to await my death. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only few months to live.

It is my last wish to see this money distributed to charity organizations, because I don't have any child and my relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth since my illness, I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this huge responsibility to any of them anymore.

Please, I beg of you in the name of God to help me collect the money and distribute it to charity organizations, orphanages and the needy. Since my health is retrogressing by the minute, you will have to contact and cooperate with my Legal representative Mr. Paul Davis at paldave056@aim.com, fax: +44 872 110 6456. I have briefed and empowered him to prepare the necessary authorisation that will enable you take possession of the money. He shall explain the whole process of claims to you. Meanwhile, I will require your trust and confidentiality which is the bedrock in every transaction.

I look forward to hear from you ASAP.


With kind Regards,
Mrs. Sarah Cole


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