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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: "JAMES B. COMEY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <westx@yahoo.pt>
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2015 08:28:00 -0700
Subject: YOUR LAST PAYMENT NOTIFICATION

FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
935 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE,
NW WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535-0001
HTTP://WWW.FBI.GOV/ABOUT-US/HISTORY/DIRECTORS
 
REF: US/2015/8A28/11
 
ATTN: RECIPIENT
 
I JAMES B. COMEY THE  DIRECTOR OF FBI OFFICIALLY INFORM YOU THAT IT HAS COME TO OUR NOTICE AND WE HAVE THOROUGHLY COMPLETED AN INVESTIGATION WITH THE HELP OF OUR INTELLIGENCE MONITORING NETWORK SYSTEM THAT YOU LEGALLY APPROVED TO RECEIVED A VALUED AMOUNT OF FUNDS TO CREDIT INSTRUCTION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA,THE SUM OF $10.500,000.00 HAS RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED THROUGH OUR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE MONITORING NETWORK THAT THE SUM OF $10.500,000.00, HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A BANK BEARING YOUR NAME AS THE BENEFICIARY.
 
YOU ARE BEING CONTACTED BY THE FBI ANTI TERRORIST AND MONETARY CRIMES DIVISION BECAUSE THE FUND WAS TRANSFERRED WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATIONS TO PROVE THAT THE FUND IS NOT RELATED TO TERRORIST OR MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES.
 
FOR SECURITY REASONS AND DUE TO THE LEVEL OF TERRORIST / MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES GOING ON,YOU ARE MANDATED TO OBTAIN THE LEGAL WIRING DIST DOCUMENT SO AS TO PROVE TO US THAT YOU ARE NOT RELATED TO TERRORIST OR MONEY LAUNDERING ACTIVITIES.
 
IT MIGHT INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TAKEN OUT TIME IN SCREENING THROUGH THIS TRANSACTION AS STIPULATED ON OUR PROTOCOL OF OPERATION AND HAVE FINALLY CONFIRMED YOU AS THE RIGHTFUL BENEFICIARY OF THE SAID AMOUNT OF $10.500, 000.00.
 
WARNING: YOU WILL BE ARRESTED FOR MONEY LAUNDERING/ TERRORISM IF THE NEEDED DOCUMENTS ARE NOT OBTAINED WITHIN 48 HOURS, WE WILL ALSO CLOSE YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND JAIL YOU, AND ALL YOUR PROPERTIES WILL BE CONFISCATED BY THE FBI IF FOUND GUILTY AS CHARGED.
 
TO THIS REGARDS, YOU ARE ADVISED TO GET BACK TO US IMMEDIATELY FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO OBTAIN THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS.
 
 
YOU ARE HEREBY ADVISED IN YOUR OWN INTEREST TO STOP FURTHER CONTACT/COMMUNICATION SOME FAKE OFFICERS YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH AS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, I DISCOVERED THAT YOU ARE BEING OWED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AS UNPAID PURPORTED TO BE CONTRACT/INHERITANCE FUND IN CATEGORIES
 
 
JAMES B. COMEY
FBI HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING

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