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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: "Ricky Jones" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ricky.jons@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 18:50:56 +0100
Subject: GREETINGS..

 
Hello Dear.
My name is Ricky Jones, a financial and business consultant with the HSBC Bank; I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail private as I contact you independently and not on behalf of the bank.
 
In 2009, a client of ours came to the private banking division with an investment interest equivalent to 9.5million British Pounds, Based on my advice, we spun the money around on various opportunities and made attractive margins for our first few years of operation, in late 2012 he instructed that the principal sum be liquidated because he needed to make an urgent investment requiring cash payments, He directed that I liquidate the funds and had it deposited with a securities firm. The firm is an especially private firm that accepts deposits from high net worth individuals and blue chip corporations.
 
However the firm got in touch with me sometime in February this year, informing me that the money was never claimed. On further enquiries we found out that Mr. Alfred was involved in an accident in Cannes, South of France. If you are familiar with private banking affairs, those who patronize our services usually prefer anonymity. Private banking clients usually in most cases leave wills in our care, in this case; Alfred died intestate. He has no next of kin and that is the reason I am writing you because I want us to pull a deal.
 
What I propose is to present you as his next of kin to the security firm in order to claim the funds, and I have exclusive access to his file, you will be made the beneficiary of these funds. I am prepared to instruct the security firm to release the deposit to you as the closest surviving relation or partner.  It is my intention that we both benefit from the investment of these funds. You do not have to have known Alfred. In the banking circle this happens every time. If the money is not claimed it will be re-assigned to the state treasury and nobody benefits from this.
 
Nobody is getting hurt; this is a lifetime opportunity for us. I hold the KEY to these funds, and from my years as a banker, we see so much cash and funds being re-assigned daily to state treasury when funds like this is not claimed.
 
I am sending you this mail not without a measure of fear as to the consequences, but I know within me that nothing ventured is nothing gained and that success and riches never come easy or on a platter of gold. Do not betray my confidence. If we can be of one accord, we should act swiftly on this. Please get back to me as soon as possible.
 
You can reach me on my private email (ricky.jones011@hotmail.com)
 
Yours faithfully,
Ricky Jones.
 

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