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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.Maria Liu" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <infodirect@kakao.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2023 10:26:27 -0700
Subject: Re: Beloved In christ!!

Greetings to you
I am Mrs  Maria Liu Kuan, I was married to Dr. Van Kuan, who worked with National Iranian  South oil company (NISOC) for twenty three years before he died in the year  2008, May be you must have heard about him in the oil firm. We were married  for thirty-seven years
without a child. He died during one of the war in  Iran. He was held hostage and slain to death by protesting youths of the  region.
Before his death we were both devoted Christians. Since  his death I decided not to re-marry. When my late husband was alive he  deposited the sum USD$10,000,000.00 (Ten Million U.S. Dollars) with  Bank.
Presently, this money is still with the Bank and the  management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the  money or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it  on my behalf if I can not come over.
Presently, I'm  in the hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the  lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me  that I have only less than (2) two months to live.
It is my  last wish to see that this money is invested wisely and at the end of every  year funds are distributed among  charity organization.
I want a reliable and honest  person that will use this money to reach to the motherless and also less  privileges, to reach to the Ukrainian war victims, the sick that has no body to  take care of them, the poor and widows and to set up a Cancer  research.
If you are willing and honest enough to do my wishes,  as soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the lawyer  who will give you the documents/details of the transaction and guide  you through  the process.
My Barrister will issue  letter of authorization that will prove you  as the new beneficiary of this  fund.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I  stated therein.
Please do all things possible to make my wish  come through. Email Me On:
Hoping to  hearing from you soon.
Mrs  Maria Liu Kuan

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