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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: Bashir Ifo <bashirifo54@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2013 16:21:53 +0100
Subject: Best regards.

Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development
Finance and Corporate Services Dept
Website: www.ecowas.int


Sir,


Subject: Soliciting your co-operation in transfer of ($11,700,000) Eleven
Million Seven Hundred Thousand United states dollars inheritance funds to a
secured foreign bank account.


I am a staff of the Ecowas Regional Bank. I am contacting you concerning
Mr. Klaus Toshio who lost his life in Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture
north-eastern Japan on Friday 11th March 2011.

Mr. Klaus Toshio (deceased) was a gold merchant, he has an account balance
of ($11,700,000) Eleven Million Seven Hundred Thousand United states
dollars and about 50 kilograms alluvial gold deposit in our bank until the
unexpected tragedy in Japan. By privilege of being Mr. Klaus Toshio's
account supervisor, I need your sincere co-operation to transfer these
funds to a secured foreign bank account because Mr. Klaus Toshio (deceased)
has no next of kin to inherit these funds. I do not want to declare these
huge sums of money as unclaimed funds which will just be forfeited to the
government, and as a staff of the bank I cannot personally claim these
funds.

We can conveniently arrange for the transfer of these funds to your
preferred bank account as the beneficiary to the funds if we can reach a
mutual agreement between us, is rest assured that this transaction is 100%
risk-free.

I look forward to work with you for a successful transfer of these funds to
a secured foreign bank account.


Best regards,

Bashir Mamman Ifo.

Anti-fraud resources: