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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: Sophia Erick <sdltdkggl3455@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 May 2023 18:41:10 +0200
Subject: HELLO

With tears in my eyes and grief in my heart, I am writing this email
to you, my name is Mrs.Sophia Erick, I am from Tunisia, I am
contacting you in a hospital in
Burkina Faso, I want to tell you this because I have no choice but to
tell you, because I am moved to open my heart to you, I am married to
Mr. Sofia, who in 2011 He worked with the Tunisian ambassador to
Burkina Faso for nine years before his death in 2009. We have been
married for eleven years and have no children.
He died after a brief illness that lasted only five days. Since his
death I decided not to remarry, my late husband was alive. He
deposited the sum of (Eleven Million Dollars) in a bank in
Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, West Africa. The money is
still in the bank. He used the money to export gold from the mining
industry in Burkina Faso. Recently, my doctor told me that I couldn't
last seven months because of cancer and a stroke. What bothered me the
most was my stroke. Knowing my situation, I have decided to hand over
this money to you to take care of the vulnerable and you will use it
in the manner I will instruct here.
I want you to take out 30% of the total amount for your personal use
And 70% of the money you will use to build an orphanage in my name to
help the poor on the street. I grew up as an orphan without anyone as
my family, just to maintain God's family I do this so that God will
forgive my sins and accept my soul in heaven, because this disease has
caused me a lot

As soon as I hear back from you I will give you the contact details of
the Bank of Burkina Faso and I will also instruct the bank manager to
send you a power of attorney certifying that you are the current
beneficiary of the money in the bank if you said Yes please assure me
that you will act in the manner I declare here.

Mrs. Sophia Erick.

Anti-fraud resources: