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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: "Mark Williams" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mw7095033@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2023 17:14:45 -0700
Subject: United Bank For Africa. (UBA)

United Bank For Africa. (UBA)
Address: 9C2G+XVF, Cocondji Gb?dromed? Cocotom?, Cotonou

Dear Sir/Madam

I hope you are in good health. I am an Internal Auditor with United Bank For Africa. (UBA) here in Benin,Cotonou and I am contacting you for an opportunity that will benefit us both immensely if you are willing and capable of handling the procedure. In the
course of auditing our records, I discovered an unclaimed inheritance fund of Nine Million Nine Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great British Pounds ($9,950,000.00 USD) in one of the dormant personal accounts and I wish to lay down your name as the next of kin to the account in question due to the death record of the initial depositor who died years ago with his family.

However, I will like to assure you that the transfer procedure of this fund to your own account will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law both in your country and here in Republic Of Benin once the fund is
transferred to your bank account.

I believe it is right to let you know also that upon my discovery of this fund and the circumstances surrounding it, I had to use my position to move the funds from the normal ledger account where it will be visible to any other auditor into an Escrow account which has kept the fund completely safe and secured until I am able to find a worthy foreign partner whom I can present as the cousin of the initial deceased depositor and the next of kin of the deceased's estate.

It is on this basis that I am soliciting your consent to be my foreign partner as the initial owner of the fund was a foreigner and making you the beneficiary of the fund with the help of my personal lawyer who will prepare all of the legal documentations for your legal title to the fund and to clear the fund as legitimately yours into any bank account of your choice as quickly as possible.

If you will be ready, willing and able to handle this risk-free transaction with me and my attorney, kindly respond to this request with your personal and receiving bank account details to enable me link you up with my attorney to commence the release process which will not last more than 15 banking days.

I await your response.

Regards,
Mark Williams

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