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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: "Mrs.Sarah Megan Huffman" (may be fake)
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 23:08:09 -0500
Subject: << Please Read Confidentiality / Privacy Proposal Legal Benefit >>

Attenton: Beloved,
Dear Sir/Madam,
Greetings,
 
May the Peace of the lord be with you .After going through your profile, i decided to contact you for assistance and distribution of my inheritance. I got your Contact through a personal search via the internet. My name is Mrs Sarah Megan Huffman a dying woman who have decided to donate what i have to you/ church. I am 58 years old and i was diagnosed for cancer for about 9 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband who has left me everything he worked for. I must let you know that this transaction is 100% risk free and the nature of your business does not necessarily matter all I demand from you is assurance that you will not sit on this funds when it finally gets to your personal or company's account in your Country.
 
Please pray that the good Lord forgive me my sins. I will be going in for an operation couple of hours from now, and I have decided to WILL/donate the sum of $5,500,000 US Dollars to you for the good work of the lord, and to help the motherless children, less privilege and for the assistance of the widows including charity organization according to (JAMES 1:27). I took this decision because I do not have any child that will inherit this funds.
 
I know i do not know you but i have been directed to do this by my instinct. I have been touched by God to donate from what i have inherited from my late husband for the good work of God, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard-earned funds ungodly. I once asked members of my families to close one of my accounts and donate the money which I have there to Charity organization in bulgaria but they refused and kept the money to themselves because they are not inclined in helping the poor hence, I do not trust them anymore as they seem not to be contended with what I have left for them.
 
Now i cannot take any telephone calls right now because my relatives are around me. I have adjusted my WILL and my lawyer is aware i have changed my will you and he will arrange the transfer of the funds from my account to you. Inform him that i have WILLED ($5,500,000.00 Million US Dollars ) to you and i have notified him that i am WILLING that amount to you for a specific and good work.
 
NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished, as I do not want anything that will jeopardize my last wish. In addition, I will be contacting with you by email, as I do not want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me. I pray that God uses you to support and assist me with good heart.
 
Contact my lawyer with this specified email contact:
Name: Barrister J.P.Balkema

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