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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: "Paul Martin Pedersen" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2013 17:54:20 +0400
Subject: Waiting to hear from you

Dear Friend,
I understand that through the Internet is not the best way to link up with you because of the confidentiality which my proposal demands. I hope that this letter will not be of a surprise to you, Sequel to your non response of our earlier letter sent by post to you.
We wish to notify you again that your first name was listed as a beneficiary to the total sum of 15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Euros) in the codicil and last testament of the deceased. Name now withheld since this is our second letter to you.
I contacted you because you bear the surname identity and therefore i can present you as the sole beneficiary to the inheritance. I therefore reckoned that you can receive these funds as you are qualified by your name identity.
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
We discovered an abandoned amount of money in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family. But he happens to share the same last name with you, since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims to this money as the heir.
We cannot release the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our judicial laws. Upon this discovery, we now seek your permission to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all documentations will be carefully worked out by us for the funds to be released in your favor as the beneficiary's next of kin.
It may interest you to note that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of deceased beneficiaries. All the legal papers will be processed in your acceptance of this deal, I request that you kindly forward to me your letter of acceptance in acceptance of our mutual business endeavor by furnishing me with the following;
1. Beneficiary name and address.
2. Direct Mobile number and fax numbers.
These requirements will enable us file a letter of claim at our high court probate division for the release of this sum of money.
I wish to point out that I want 20% of this money to be shared among charity Organizations, while the remaining 80% is shared equally between us. This transaction is entirely risk free.
Get back to me through the following contact mail address: martinpedersen@adexec.com
Yours Sincerely,
 
Paul Martin Pedersen
Email: martinpedersen@adexec.com
[Legal Trustee]Madrid, Spain

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