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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: Mr. George P. Allen <georgepallen@wdrc.org.dc>
Reply-To: georgealen1957@gmail.com
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2016 14:37:42 +0700
Subject: WASHINGTON DC UNCLAIMED FUND NOTIFICATION


WORLD DEBT RECOVERY COMMITTEE 98540 EAST OLYMPIA WASHINGTON DC UNCLAIMED FU=
ND NOTIFICATION I am Mr. George Allen of the newly inaugurated World Debt R=
ecovery committee (WDRC). My committee has a mandate to recover unpaid debt=
s associated with NNPC contracts, Lottery fund, inheritance fund, loans and=
grants etc ranging from $1M-$19.5M owed to various beneficiaries and compa=
nies across the globe (Asia, Europe, USA, Africa, and Australia) and submit=
the list of the unpaid beneficiaries/companies to the 2 appointed official=
paying Banks for immediate payment of the fund. In the course of our inves=
tigation, your email address/particulars were shortlisted among the first f=
ifteen individuals yet to be paid hence this email. However, we received a =
petition today from one Mrs.Christina Morgan that you are dead. According t=
o her, you died in a plane crash as such your fund should be paid to her as=
the apparent heir. She has also submitted her Bank account with Bank of Am=
erica for the transfer of the fund to her. To avoid undue delay or paying t=
he fund to wrong individual/beneficiary,I have decided to contact you for c=
onfirmation. If I fail to hear from you after 72 hours, it will be assumed =
that the petition of Mrs. Morgan is true and the fund will be paid to her w=
ithout further delay. Therefore, if you are still alive, reconfirm your par=
ticulars, 1. Full Name:____________________________ 2. Address:____________=
__________________ 3. Nationality:____________Sex___________ 4. Age:_______=
_____Date of Birth:________ 5. Occupation:___________________________ 6. Ph=
one:_______Fax:_____________________ 7. State of Origin:_______Country:____=
___ 8. Copy of int'l passport or any scanned identity to prove yourself.and=
how you want your fund paid to you immediately for the attention of the pa=
ying officer. Yours Sincerely Mr. George P. Allen. (WDRC)

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