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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: Anthony Blaine <blaine.esq@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2014 01:24:23 -0700
Subject: I need your mutual help


My name is Anthony Blaine, I am a principal assurance manager in one of
the top banks in Europe and respectfully request that you keep the contents
of this correspondence private and respect the integrity of the information
you have come by as a result of this communication. We are conducting a
standard process investigation with respect to a deceased client and
the circumstances
surrounding investments he made at the Private Banking arm of our bank.
This man died intestate and nominated no successor in title over the
investments made with the bank. I contact you independent of our
investigation and assure that no one is informed of this communication.

I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of
interest to you. I am prepared to place you in a position to instruct the
bank to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation to the
deceased. Upon receipt of the deposit, I am prepared to share the money
with you. What I am saying is that, I will simply nominate you as the next
of kin to the deceased and have them release the deposit to you. We shall
disburse the proceeds equally i.e. 50/50. ordinarily, I would have gone
ahead to ask for the funds to be released to me, but that would have drawn
a straight line to me and my involvement in claiming the deposit. But, you
on the other hand, would easily pass as the beneficiary with right to claim
the funds. I assure you that I could have the deposit released to you
within a few days. The amount involved is USD48,375,000.00

I am aware of the consequences of this proposal. I ask that if you find no
interest in this project that you should discard this message. You may not
know this, but people like myself who have made tidy sums out of comparable
situations, run the whole private banking sector. I am not a criminal and
what I do, I do not find against good conscience, this may be hard for you
to understand, but the dynamics of my industry dictate that I make this
move. Such opportunities only come once in a lifetime. I cannot let this
chance pass me by. If you will not work with me, please let me know and let
me move on with my life but do not destroy me. I am a family man and this
is an opportunity to provide them with new opportunities.

There is a reward for this project and it is a task well worth undertaking.
I have evaluated the risks and the only risk I have here is from you
refusing to work with me. I am the only one who knows of this situation,
good fortune has blessed you with a name that has planted you into the
center of relevance in my life. Let’s share this blessing. If you give me
positive signals, I will initiate this process towards a successful
conclusion for our mutual benefit.

I await your response.

Respectfully,

Anthony Blaine

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