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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: thabani@i12.com
Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 10:53:20 +0100
Subject: Hi.

From : Dr. Evans Thabani.
Director of Project. DME South Africa.

Please Treat Confidential and Urgent.


I am Dr. Evans Thabani, Director of Project, South Africa Department
of Minerals and Energy. I am making this contact with you based on the
committee's need for an individual/company who is willing to assist us
with a solution to a money transfer.

This amount $28.5m represents the balance of the total contract value
executed on behalf of Department of Minerals and Energy by a foreign
contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced deliberately, of
which the actual sum has been paid.

Should you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of
the sum will be 25% of the $28.5 million, 70% for us and 5% for taxation
and miscelleneous expenses.

I await your immediate response.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Evans Thabani.

N.B Please reply to with your confidential phone and fax number to enable me contact you for further clarifications.


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