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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: abdullah rahman <abdullah_a00149@msn.com>
Reply-To: abdullahrahman12@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 8 May 2012 16:41:27 +0000
Subject: I AM VERY URGENTLY WAITING FOR YOUR RESPONSE.


*MY DEAR FRIEND,*
**
*THIS MAIL MIGHT COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE AND THE TEMPTATION TO IGNORE
IT AS UNSERIOUS COULD COME INTO YOUR MIND; BUT PLEASE CONSIDER IT A
DIVINE WISH AND ACCEPT IT WITH A DEEP SENSE OF HUMILITY.*
**
*I AM MR ABDULLAH RAHMAN. THE MANAGER OF BILL AND EXCHANGE DEPARTEMENT
OF OCEANIC BANK PLC (OCB). OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO. I SAW YOUR
CONTACTS THROUGH A GLOBAL SEARCH DIRECTARY, AFTER MUCH CONSIDERATION I
DECIDED TO WRITE YOU SINCE I CANNOT BE ABLE TO SEE YOU FACE TO FACE AT
FIRST.*
**
*I WILL LIKE YOU TO TAKE YOUR TIME TO READ THIS MAIL CAREFULLY. I DID
NOT MEAN TO EMBARRASS YOU WITH MY BUSINESS PROPOSAL BUT I SERIOUSLY NEED
YOUR ASSISTANCE. PLEASE THIS IS A CONFIDENTIAL MATTER AND IT REQUIRES
URGENCY. IN MY DEPARTMENT WE DISCOVERED AN ABANDONED SUM OF
U.S$12.500,000 M DOLLARS (TWELVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED
STATES DOLLARS) IN AN ACCOUNT THAT BELONGS TO ONE OF OUR FOREIGN
CUSTOMER WHO DIED ALONG WITH HIS ENTIRE FAMILY ON TUESDAY,25TH
JULY,2000, IN A PLANE CRASH.*
**
*SINCE WE GOT INFORMATION ABOUT HIS DEATH, WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING HIS OR
HER NEXT OF KIN TO COME OVER AND CLAIM HIS MONEY BECAUSE WE CAN NOT
RELEASE IT UNLESS SOME BODY APPLIES FOR IT AS NEXT OF KIN OR RELATION TO
THE DECEASED AS INDICATED IN OUR BANKING GUIDELINES AND LAWS, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY WE LEARNT THAT HIS SUPPOSED NEXT OF KIN DIED ALONG SIDE
WITH HIM AT THE PLANE CRASH LEAVING NOBODY BEHIND FOR THE CLAIM.*
**
*IT IS THEREFORE UPON THIS DISCOVERY, I NOW DECIDED TO MAKE THIS
BUSINESS PROPOSAL TO YOU AND RELEASE THE MONEY TO YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN
OR RELATION TO THE DECEASED FOR SAFETY AND SUBSEQUENT DISBURSEMENT SINCE
NOBODY IS COMING FOR IT AND I DON'T WANT THIS MONEY TO GO INTO THE BANK
TREASURY AS UNCLAIMED BILL. THE BANKING LAW AND GUIDINE HERE STIPULATES
THAT IF SUCH MONEY REMAINED UNCLAIMED AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS AND SIX
MONTHS, THE MONEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE BANK AS UNCLAIMED BILL.*
**
*I THEREFORE AGREE THAT 40% OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS FOREIGNER
PARTNER, IN RESPECT TO THE PROVISION OF A FOREIGN ACCOUNT, 10% WILL BE
SET ASIDE FOR EXPENSES INCURRED DURING THE BUSINESS AND 50% WOULD BE FOR
ME. THERE AFTER I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR
DISBURSEMENT ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGES INDICATED. SHOULD YOU BE
INTERESTED PLEASE SEND ME:*
**
*YOUR FULL NAME:
YOUR AGE :
SEX:
OCCUPATION:
CONTACT ADDRESS:
COUNTRY:
PHONE NUMBER
COUNTRY:*
**
*OR REPLY TO MY E-MAIL:...(**abdullahrahman12@gmail.com*
<http://ca.mc1619.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=abdullahrahman12@gmail.com>*)
FINALLY AFTER THAT I SHALL PROVIDE YOU WITH MORE DETAILS OF THIS
OPERATION. YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE TO THIS LETTER WILL BE APPRECIATED.*
**
*KIND REGARDS
MR ABDULLAH RAHMAN.
*


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