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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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Fraud email example:

From: "KOFI OMANE" <kofi100@indiatimes.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: kofioma100@yahoo.com
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 08:10:21 +0100
Subject: FRIENDSHIP

Dear Friend,

I am one of the Personal Assistance to the late President Gnassingbé
Eyadéma of Togo. I will not like to waste your time.

I am looking for someone to be my friend that I can trust to handle some money amounting to $9.5million I confiscated from the late president, part of the money he has already started negociating with a bank in Switzerland on how to deposit it two weeks before he died, but the press reported that he went for medical check-up. I have inside stories about all this will shear it as we proceed.

I am in the neibouring country Benin cooling off waiting for your quick
reply, you can equally reach me on my mobile phone +229-061476.

I will explain in details after your response in the next mail.

Please click to this site news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4239983.stm
- 36k - 8 fév 2005 to understand what I am about to make you aware.

My Regards,

KOFI OMANE



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