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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: "John Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <oswald.lewis@outlook.com>
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2016 11:27:21 -0000
Subject: THANKS FOR YOUR PAST EFFORTS

Hello my good friend,
 
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and your family? I hope this mail finds you in an excellent condition of health. I am using this opportunity to inform you that i have successfully ttransferred the funds with the help of another Merchant who financed the transaction to a logical conclusion.
 
I thank you for your great effort towards our unfinished transfer of fund into your account, due to one reason or the other best to known you at that time. Due to the effort, courage and trustworthiness you showed during the course of the transaction, I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of One Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($1,500,000.00)
 
I have left an international certified bank draft for you worth $1,500,000.00 cashable anywhere in the world. My dear friend, please contact my account officer, Mr. Oswald Lewis, so that he will send the bank draft to you without any delay. At the moment, I'm very busy here in Paraguay, trying to invest my own share of the funds with my new partner. Please I will like you to accept this token with good faith as this is from the bottom of my heart.
 
CONTACT: Mr. Oswald Lewis
EMAIL: oswald.lewis@outlook.com
OFFICE ADDRESS: NO 7 LIVERPOOL ROAD, APAPA, LAGOS-NIGERIA
TEL: +2347032764703
 
You should send him your full Name, telephone number and contact address and ask him to release the bank draft to you because i have instructed him.
 
Respectfully,
Dr. John Williams

Anti-fraud resources: