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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: AKASA WILLIAMS <akasa.williams1@btinternet.com>
Reply-To: akasa_williams@cantv.net
Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 20:54:50 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: JUST TO SAY HELLO


























MR. AKASA WILLIAMS
ABIDJAN, COTE D'IVOIRE
IVORY COAST                            
                                                         
 Tel: 0022507577628                     
 
CONCERNING MR. GEORGE EDWARD OUTSTANDING FUNDS
 
Dear Sir/ Madam,
 
I am Mr. Akasa Williams, a Senior Management Staff in Foreign / Operations Department with one of the local banks here in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire (IVORY C OAST).
 
On June 6, 2001, MR.  GEORGE EDWARD, an Oil Contractors/ Consultants with the Ivorien National Petrolum Corporation operated a Domiciliary Account with my bank and made a numbered time(fixed) deposits amounting to US$20,750,000 (Twenty Million, Seven Hundred & Fifty Thousand United States Dollars).
 
However, on investigation, it was discovered that MR. GEORGE EDWARD died in a plane crash with EGYPTIAN FLIGHT BOEING 990 on 31st October, 2003 along with his family.
 
On further investigation, I discovered that MR. GEORGE EDWARD had no family. He was brought up in ORPHANAGE HOMES and had no registered NEXT OF KIN at the time of deposit and all attempts to trace his Relatives to come for the claim of this fund proved abortive till date. This sum of US$20,750,000 is still lying in the Bank untouched and the INTEREST is being rolled over with the principal sum at the end of each year. For the past 7 years now, no one has ever come forward to claim the fund.
 
According to Cote D'Ivoire (IVORY COAST) Laws, at the expiration of 10 (ten) years, the bank will return the money direct to Central Bank of Cote d'Ivoire if nobody applies to claim the funds.
 
However, my proposal is that I will like the bank to transfer the funds into your account since Late MR. GEORGE EDWARD had no registered Next of Kin with our bank and as such the fund now has an open Beneficiary mandate, so that the fruits of this old man's labour will not get into the hands of these corrupt government officials who might divert the fund direct into their personal pockets at the end of the Ten (10) years. 
 
Also kindly consider the following Terms:-
 
1. You will provide our bank here with either your old account without any money in it or a newly opened account details where you would like the bank to transfer the funds to you.
 
2. Please note that there is NO RISK attached to this transaction, moreso as this transaction has nothing to do with government of any country or individual. The original owner of the account is dead, so feel very free to co-operate with me so that we shall reap the benefits at the end.
 
3. You will be entitled to 30% from the total amount as your compensation after the transfer of fund into your account.
 
As soon as I receive your acceptance to participate in this transaction, I will furnish you with the necessary modalities to commence. Finally, I am relying my confidence in you, believing that you will not disappoint me.
 
Note - this is 100% RISK-FREE through out.
 
Awaiting your urgent reply.
 
God bless you.
Sincerely Yours,
AKASA WILLIAMS (Tel: 0022507577628)

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