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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: "Jennifer Wuttke" <jenniferwuttke@gmx.de>
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2016 14:05:51 +0100
Subject: Wg: Dear Jennifer Wuttke,

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Seems like I received an attack from Togo, Africa.
Below you can read the email senders message. Not sure what else to do with it. I delete it.

Best regards
Jennifer Wuttke
--
Diese Nachricht wurde von meinem Android Mobiltelefon mit GMX Mail gesendet.



william johnson <william_lawyer@outlook.com>schrieb:
Dear Jeinnifer  Wuttke

Thanks for your attention. I contacted you in this matter base on the fact that you are from the same country with my late client and since I had sought for the relatives without success and instead of this fund being confiscated by the Finance Firm as I did mentioned in my proposal or being claimed by some unscrupulous person.The account in question belongs to the Late engineer.Michael  Wuttke,he was working with Shell Development company Limited and was an exporter of gold and  Coco,he died along side Kara express Way on November 2008 with his lovely wife, and the only son Note that all I want from you is to stand as a next of kin to the unclaimed estate of my deceased client hence this is not a joke.

I have done everything possible to trace the relatives of my late client without any luck, it was until the finance firm with the said deposit invited me to their office and mandated me as his attorney here in Togo to locate and present to them his next of kin for the release of his outstanding fund with them.It's upon this mandate I decided to contact you as coming from the same country  with my late client i contacted you in order to assist me in putting claims to this fund for the release and transfer.Therefore,in a situation of this kind, it's not published and the respective financial institution only informs the customer's attorney as the case may be and then only waits for the real heir to show up as the availability of such funds are expected to be in the late "customer's will which would be the only source of knowledge of it by anybody who is entitle to such estate but the real heir was also involved in the accident.The next of kinship as stated by the inheritance law, is not limited to relations of the deceased nor is it confided to the circuit of parental relationship, rather it is by choice of the benefactor as regards to whom he wish to will it to (beneficiary) either formally by write up ,or informally by secret information disclosure to beneficiary, be him/her business partner, relation, kinsmen, friends or well wisher, therefore by virtue of the above stated.

I seek consent to present you as the next of kin to my late client since the supposed next of kin also died along with him.You should note that all the legal documents that will be needed in a transaction of this nature ascertaining you as the newly appointed beneficiary and next of kin to my late client will dully and legally be obtained and issued in your names and favor. I do not know you but I feel you will be human enough to be honest to me at least for bringing you into a deal capable of fetching something tangible.If this fund is not claimed, it will be re-deposited into the treasury of the finance firm as unclaimed bill which be shared among the board of directors due to high level of corruption here and that will become history.

There is nothing to worry about as everything is legal with documentations,it is my duty to provide the next of kin and whosoever I approve as the next of kin will become the beneficiary and receive the fund.The most important issue to be considered now is trust and confidence in this matter hence I plead this should be our watch word throughout this transaction and I can fully assure you on my own part that as much as I work this with you, I will always remain the same.I will advise you send me your information such as YOUR FULL NAMES,AGE,SEX,PROFESSION,YOUR PROFESSION MEANS THE NAME OF JOB YOU DO,ADDRESS,TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER.

I will proceed in submitting the same to the finance firm in presenting you as the sole next of kin to my late client for the subsequent release of the deposit to you in line with their routine process.I will not fail to remind you that your maximum co-operation and sense of belonging are requiring as well enhancing a positive impact towards the conclusive end of this matter.
You can call me as soon as possible for further directives and guideline.
Very truly yours,
William Johnson (ESQ).

TEL: 22896537138

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