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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: "Freddie Yao" <fred.yao31@gmail.com>
Reply-To: freddie.yao2014@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:37:00 -0500
Subject: Greetings From Freddie Yao




Good morning;

I am writing you this letter despite of the fact that we have never meet
each other before in person. I am Mr Freddie Yao, I am an Ivorian
national. I work as an account officer with a bank in Cote D' Ivoire. I am
contacting you for a transaction which would be of a mutual benefit for
both of us. I would need your assistance to the transfer of the sum of
$11.000.000 which was deposited by a deceased client since the year 2012
in my bank for onward transfer to his foreign associate. Late Dr Chokri
Ghanem was former adviser to late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was
also an Oil Magnate, found dead in Vienna where he took refuge.

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2113528,00.html

My bank held a meeting last few days to put this money into the government
treasury as non-coming beneficiary. Because ever since the death of the
late man, Her associate/beneficiary has not yet presented himself for the
claims of this money and we have no information or identification of his
person on our data's. The reason why my bank is deciding to return this
fund as non-coming beneficiary. All i require from you is to contact the
International remittance dept and apply for the claims of this money to
your nominated bank account while i help to use my position and push your
claims for approval.

For your commission, i have set aside, 40% of the total sum as your
commission and 60% will be for me. This is a secured bank deal. You must
never get scared, because i am going to guide you well. Should this deal
interest you please do write me quickly to enable me give you more details
and guide you well how to pull this fund to your account. Thanks and may
the Almighty and Merciful God guide us Well.

Yours Sincerely
Mr Freddie Yao

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