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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: "Mrs. Christina Williams" <williamsmrschristina@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2023 10:00:14 +0000
Subject: Lord God Almighty Be With You,

MAY THE PEACE OF GOD BE WITH YOU AMEN, My name is Mrs. Christina
Williams JOHNSON from France, I am a 59years old woman. I Was married
to late Mr. WILLIAMS JOHNSON who is from Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire WEST
AFRICA. He was among the best contractors here in Abidjan Cote
d'Ivoire West Africa and also a per term Politician. He was poison to
die by one of his Political friends.

My late husband and I were married for years without a child of our
own and after his death I decided not to re-marry or get a child
outside my matrimonial home. As i speak to you, I have been diagnosed
with congested heart failure, of which the doctors have confirmed and
told me that I would not live long. After my husband passed away, I
realized he deposited a huge sum of money with one of the Bank here in
Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire West Africa.

The money that was deposited in the Bank was a total of
(5.500.000.00USD) Five million Five Hundred Thousand USD. As I write
to you, I feel that the money in the Bank would be a waste if I die
and that is why I have come to a conclusion of donating the money out
to the less privilege and also the motherless babies home.

My husband's brother is an addicted smoker and drinker who spend his
money on expensive drinks and unnecessary things and so I do not wish
for him to have any of the money which my husband worked so hard for
all his life. After going through your profile over the internet I
decided to contact you for friendship and assistance for distribution
of my inheritance. Please, my dear friend I have come to you to help
me carry out this last wish of mine on earth because I am too weak to
move about and also have been confined to a wheel chair in my home due
to the state of my health and so I can't travel all the way from here.

It is true that I don't know you, but I have been directed by God to
do this. If you wish to help me, write back to me at your earliest
convenience so that I would direct you on how to contact the Bank for
the transfer of the funds to you in whichever way you may wish to
nominate for this purpose. Please send me your name, address,
occupation, age, sex, marital status and contact telephone numbers to
enable me forward it to the Bank for the release of the fund to your
custody. I will give you the bank contact information for I may not be
able to carry out, I am weak less privilege to write or talk.
for more details.

Thanks for your kindness and God Bless you,

Yours in sincerely,
Mrs. Christina Williams Johnson.

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