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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: "Howgul Abul Abacha" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <howgulabul202@yahoo.com.hk>
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 18:31:26 +0100
Subject: Please Reply

Hello ,

I am Mr.Howgul Abul Abacha, my father was the former head Nigeria of State Gen: Sanni Abacha, I want you to please help me and invest the sum of $10.5 Million USD which my late father deposited in a security firm in Oversea before he died, my mother has just brought this
information to my notice few days ago at the point of death.

Note, the funds where deposited as security bonds worth {$10.5 Million USD} I will send to you all the necessary documents that will mandate you to make claim of the deposit as the sole beneficiary of the security deposit bonds.

I wish to invest this fund in the US after successful, kindly get back to me so we may discuss memorandum of understanding (MOU)

I look forward for your kind reply.

Healthy regards,
Howgul Abul Abacha.

Anti-fraud resources: