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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: "Ali Mark" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <alimark01@terra.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:45:55 +1100
Subject: FROM UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL PETROLUM CORPORATION

DR ALI MARK EXPORT REGIONAL MANAGER
UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL PETROLUM CORPORATION
ONE THORPE ROAD P.O.BOX GP 2674 UNITED KINGDOM
PRIVATE E-MAIL ADDRESS:alimark02@terra.com
 
Attention:
 
It is my pleasure to contact you for an assistance and business
proposal. I know the content of this letter might be surprising to you
but I assure you that every word of it is true. Even though we hardly
know each other I believe you can help me.
 
I am Dr.ALI MARK,the Export Regional Manager with special task
force in charge of the sales of petroleum in the UNITED KINGDOM. My
office monitors the sales and lifting of crude oil and petroleum
product by foreign dealers. With the cooperation of my assistant and
head of the audit committee attached to the task force, I have
successfully saved about US$37.5 million. This money is as a result of
allocation of excess crude oil to the foreign dealers, which has been
sold but this money is not entered in the financial statement of my
task force. This money was lying unclaimed in the account of the task
force, known only to my partner the chief security officer in our
ministry and me involved
 
in the excess allocation. We cannot lodge this money into our private
bank account. In my country, public servants are not permitted to
operate a foreign account.I am contacting you because of the need to
involve a foreigner with foreign account as a foreign beneficiary and
I need your full co-operation to make this work fine. Now the idea is
to have a foreign partner whom the sum will be transferred to. All you
have to do is to give us your private address, phone and fax lines for
an easy communication and banking details to enable me secure
approvals from The UNITED KINGDOM National Petroleum Corporation(UPC)
and from the Federal Ministry Of Finance(F.M.F) which
 
will qualify the fund to be transferred into your nominated bank
account by the UN Bank Of and these approvals/documents will make you
the original owner of the USD37.5M If you can assist us transfer this
money into your nominated bank account,we will give you 30% of the
amount. You will keep the remaining sum for us pending our arrival in
your country. We intend to invest 60% of the sum in business in your
country. We would want to know the lucrative business areas in your
country we can invest on with the 60% of the
 
sum and 10% will be mapped out for any expenses that we might incurre
during the transaction. Don't worry about any problem in this
business.I assure it is safe and no risk is involved. No other party
is aware of the sum from the excess allocation except my partner the
chief security officer and me. However, this transaction should be
secret and
 
confidential. i swear trust me on this business let us work with one
mind.We awaits your urgent reply.
 
Best regards
Dr. ALI MARK
 

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