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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: "SCOTLAND YARD POLICE UK" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <scotlandpolice22@aim.com>
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2012 15:36:56 +0100
Subject: FROM THE SCOTLAND YARD POLICE LONDON. DO NOT IGNORE THIS MESSAGE AS IT IS A GREAT WARNING TO YOU.

ATTN:Sir/Madam

This is the fraud investigating international police (Scotland Yard Police),attached to the United Nations international police unit LONDON.In conjunction with the FBI,CIA,EFCC NIGERIA and other internet crime fighting agencies around the world.

Please be informed that we have just arrested the people who defrauded you through online winning,inheritance transfer and contract payments. We scrutinized their data through the Western Union database here in the UK and was able to apprehend some of them. We have frozen there asset and hence handover to the court for prosecution.

According to the UK Supreme Court Requisition Order, we were authorize to refund back 50% of their seized asset to you as part of the compensation to victims of fraud.

To administer the process, the 50% refund is totaling at ($1,500,000 USD) and it shall be paid back to you through our Authorized payment bank YORKSHIRE BANK London.All you need to do is, forward your full Name and Address and Telephone Number to:

Bank Information Centre:

NAME OF THE BANK: YORKSHIRE BANK, LONDON
NAME OF WHO TO CONTACT: Hans Clarence (Director of telex department)
E-MAIL ADDRESS OF THE BANK: ( info@yorkshire-online-bank.co.uk)



They will activate your payment and instruct YORKSHIRE BANK to effect the payment to you. You're advice to halt any further communication with anyone promising you any fund from anywhere as further investigation is still in progress.

Best regards,


Mr. Edward Mason
Scotland Yard Police London

Anti-fraud resources: