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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: "Office of the Accountant General of the Federation" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rhodaokeke@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2016 08:27:43 -0800
Subject: Re: If not so then update us.

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
GARKI-ABUJA.
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
[OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION]
FINANCIAL SECTOR SURVEILLANCE.
GARKI-ABUJA.

Attn: Beneficiary.

Sir,

Our Ref: You are Involved. Your Ref: ..... Date: 01/03/2016.

As regards to the just concluded World Economic forum held in Abuja mandating all outstanding payment owed to foreigners be settled/paid on or before the end of the 1st quarter of the year 2016 to enable foreign investors entrance into the business scope of this country and its resolve that fraud victims be compensated to re-brand the image of the nation, we hereby update you through your email contact for your immediate confirmation response back to this office as your name appeared among the beneficiaries who will receive a total of $3,450,000.00 {Three Million Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars) through this forum for your trauma and losses to the fraudsters. It is now approved for payment by the Federal Ministry of Finance . It is discovered that Victims are lured to such false transactions as contract payment schemes, Next of kin / inheritance claims, lottery and fake game wins.

However we received an email from one Mr. Mark Law, that he is your next of kin and that you are incapacitated to received the fund due to ill health. He submitted an account information to the department for transfer of the fund payment as your inheritor of the fund stated herein. We decided to contact you on verifying your email address as we have in our records before we can make the payment and for us to conclude confirmation if you are aware or not of the above claim. With your confirmation we will expedite action on your payment immediately without further delay .

Meanwhile,confirm your current phone number / contact address to this ministry in acknowledgement of this notice to enable us effect the processing and release of your compensation amount by the nominated bank. You are therefore advised to discontinue further communication with fraudsters to forestall cancellation of your allotment {$3,450m}.

Sir, we sincerely apologize for all your past experience in the hands of the fraudsters and as well our delay in updating you .

We wait your response .

Thanks.

Alhaji Mustapha Haruna.
Secretary to the Accountant General of the Federation.
Tel: +234 703 063 8229

Anti-fraud resources: