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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: "jmcgmelina@gmail.com" <jmcgmelina@gmail.com>
Reply-To: jmchristian1@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 06:12:36 -0700
Subject: URGENT:FROM:DR.JAMES CHRISTIAN

URGENT:FROM:DR.JAMES CHRISTIAN

Dear Friend ,

This is a proposal in context but actually an appeal soliciting for
your unreserved assistance in consummating an urgent transaction
requiring maximum confidence. Though this approach appears desperate,
I can assure you that whatever questions you would need to ask or any
other thing you will need to know regarding this proposal will be
adequately answered to give you a clearer understanding of it, so as
to arrive at a successful conclusion.

I am ,James Christian,a personal secretary/confidant to my late boss
,a national of your country, who used to work with a multi-national
Company in my country. On the 21st of April 2001, my boss, his wife
and their only daughter were involved in a car accident .

All occupants of the vehicle unfortunately lost their lives.
Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy here to
locate any of my boss' extended relatives, this has also proved
unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to
track his last name over the Internet, to locate any member of his
family hence I contacted you.


I have contacted you to assist in recovering the fund valued at US$2.5
million left behind by my boss before it gets confiscated or declared
unserviceable by the SECURITY FINANCE BANK, where this huge amount was
deposited.

Consequently, the bank issued me a notice to provide the next of kin
or have the account confiscated within a short time.Since I have been
unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over some years now,I seek
your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since
you share the same surname so that the proceeds of the account valued
at U.S$2.5 million can be paid to your account for both of us to share
the funds;50% to me and 45% to you, while 5% should be for expenses or
tax as your government may require.

Necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for
claim shall be procured. All I require from you is your honest
cooperation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee
that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will
protect you from any breach of the law.

Please get in touch with me through my e-mail to enable us discuss further.

Thanks for your kind co-operation.

Dr.James Christian.

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