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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Prince Roka Jr." <princerokajr@yahoo.cn>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:02:54 -0800
Subject: THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Dear Sir / Ma,

First I must thank you for the trust and i must also solicit your strictest confidence in this transaction and I pray that my decision to contact you will be given genuine approval considering. I wish to use this opportunity to introduce myself to you.

I am Prince Roka Jr. from Sierra-Leone. I write you to know my desires to invest in your country; I am the first son of Jonathan K. Roka, who was the former Minister of Mines and Industry. My father had a bullet wounds by the rebels on his way traveling to the Capital city Of Freetown along with my sister. My sister died on the spot while U.N Peace keeping force rescued my father, he later died after eleven months. Before his death he told to me about the box containing $18.5 million U.S Dollars And 97 Kilos Of Gold Dust, to look after my self and my Mother and shouldn’t go back to Sierra-Leone for my safety.

Why my father deposit the fund in the security company in Ghana is for safety of the fund. Presently, my mother and I are here in West Africa Accra Ghana to notify the security company for the claims for the FUND, and we are staying in the refugee camp. Therefore I want you to lecture me on how best we can invest this money in your country and as I told you I really wanted to buy a house when I come there.

My father told me it is dangerous to invest this money in Africa to avoid suspicious, due to its bad economy and political instability facing Africa countries that is why I want to invest in abroad. For your foreign assistance I and my mother have agreed to offer 30% of the total amount of the money.

We have all the vital documents covering the deposit fund and the ownership which I can send to you through fax on request.

NOTE: I have never disclosed this to any person apart from you, so you have to keep this matter very confidential. Send me your Private phone and fax numbers for more information. PRINCEROKA@LIVE.CA

Best Regards,
Prince Roka Jr.

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