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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: Basile Murrell <bslmurrell@yahoo.fr>
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2012 18:52:41 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: Expecting your urgent reply

Hello My Dear,

With due respect to you, I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end. This letter may be a big surprise to you, but I believe it is only a day that people meet and become great friends and business partners.

I am Dr. Basile Murrell, the present branch Manager of a bank here in Benin Republic West Africa. I write you this proposal in good faith, believing that I can trust you with the information I'm about to reveal to you. Like I said, I have a transaction that will benefit both of us, as your assistance is required as a foreigner.

I was the former head of the Accounts department in my bank's head office, but by August 2007 I was asked to take the position of the Manager in our branch office in Cotonou who passed on, so that was how I became the present Manager and discovered a fortune.

As I resumed duty, I discovered an account with total sum of US$19.7 Million that has not been operated on for the past 5 years. From my investigation, I found out that this account belongs to one Late Mr. Alan Gaunitz from Sweden, a big time Oil dealer, who unfortunately lost his life on November 12, 2001 in American Airlines Flight 587 with Airbus A300 at location borough of Queens in New York City, while travelling with his entire family, his wife, two children and a maid on a festive visit to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

I have kept a close monitoring of the account since then and nobody has come forward to claim the money as next of kin to the late Mr. Alan Gaunitz meaning that no one is aware of the account. I cannot directly take out this money without the help of a foreigner and that is why I am contacting you for an assistance to claim the funds and share it with me.

As the Manager of my branch where the account is operated, I have the power to influence the release of the funds to any foreigner that comes up as the next of kin to the account, with the correct information concerning the account, which I shall give you. I am seeking your co-operation to present you as the next of kin to the account.

There is practically no risk involved, the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you and i from any breach of law. If you accept to work with me, I want you to state how you wish us to share the funds in percentage, so that both parties will be satisfied.

Please Contact me as soon as you receive this message if you feel we can work together, so as to give you more details.

Thanking you in advance and may the almighty God bless you.

Treat this transaction with utmost confidentiality.

Expecting your urgent response.

Best Regards,

Dr. Basile Murrell.

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