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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: "RICHARD GOTTIEB" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <gottliebrichard@yahoo.cn>
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2013 02:20:35 -0700
Subject: GOOD DAY

Good Day

Firstly, please accept my apology for sending you this sensitive information
via mail without meeting you in person.

This is due to the urgency and importance of the matter at hand.
The development am about to unfold will be based on Trust,

confidentiality and sincerity of purpose in order to have an acceptable meeting
of the minds. I am fifty three (53) years old established lawyer.
My name is Attorney Richard Gottlieb,

a legal representative and personal Attorney to an expatriate and a contractor with
an Independent, Exploration & Production Company (Now deceased) who died with
his entire family in 2004 Madrid train bombings Thursday, 11 March 2004. I know that
this mail will come to you as a surprise as we have never met before,

but need not to worry as I am contacting you independently of my investigation and no
one is informed of this communication. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the
sum of $12.6million immediately to your private account.

The money has been here in our Bank lying dormant for years now without anybody coming for
the claim of it.I want to release the money to you as the relative to our deceased customer
(the account owner) who died along with her supposed NEXT OF KIN since 31 January 2000.

The Banking laws here do not allow such money to stay more than 13 years, because the money
will be recalled to the Bank treasury account as unclaimed fund.By indicating your interest
I will send you the full details on how the business will be executed.
Email.gottliebrichard@yahoo.cn

Attorney

Richard Gottlieb

Anti-fraud resources: