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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.

 

 

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS. ROSEMARY KWAKU" <africaloto_dev20@yahoo.com> (may be fake)
Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 13:09:01 -0700
Subject: PLS. RESPOND IMMEDIATELY

Africa Loto Developement Headquarters:
Customer Service
Ref: NL/9420X2/68
Batch: 074/05/ZY369
WINNING NOTIFICATION:
We happily announce to you the draw of the Africa Loto
Sweepstake
Lottery International programs held on the 30TH
OCTOBER, 2004.in
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLAND.
Your e-mail address attached to ticket number:
6475600545 188 with
Serial number 5368/02 drew the lucky numbers:
19-6-26-17-35-7, which
subsequently won you the lottery in the 2nd category.
You have therefore been approved to claim a total sum
of
US$5,500,000.00 (five million,Five Hundred Thousand
United States
Dollars) in cash credited to file Ktu/9023118308/03.
All participants were selected randomly from World
Wide Web site
through computer draw system and extracted from over
100,000
companies.This promotion takes place every five years
Please note that your lucky winning number falls
within our
European booklet representative office in Europe as
indicated in your
play coupon.In view of this, your US$5,500, 000.00
(five million,Five
Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) would be
released to you by
our payment office in europe.
Our European agent will immediately commence the
process to
facilitate the release of your funds as soon as you
contact him.
For security reasons, you are advised to keep your
winning
information confidential till your claims is processed
and your money
remitted to you in whatever manner you deem fit to
claim your prize.
This is part of our precautionary measure to avoid
double claiming
and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
unscrupulous elements.
Please be warned.
To file for your claim, please contact our fiduciary
agent:MR.COLLINS SPENCER : africaloto_dev@yahoo.com <http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=africaloto_dev@yahoo.com> OR
MRS.MARY O'BRAIN : mary11@tsamail.co.za <http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=mary11@tsamail.co.za>
To avoid unnecessary delays and complications, please
quote your
reference/batch numbers in any correspondences with us
or our
disgnated agent.
Congratulations once more from all members and staffs
of this
program. Thank you for being part of our promotional
lottery program.
You can aslo respond to this mail through
mary11@tsamail.co.za <http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/ym/Compose?To=mary11@tsamail.co.za>
Sincerely,
MRS. ROSEMARY KWAKU
AFRICA LOTTO Co-ordinator


Anti-fraud resources: