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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: "Michael Hulley" <mhulley@memsa.com>
Reply-To: mchulley@elitemail.org
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 14:37:20 +0100
Subject: Confidential (Treat as urgent)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I represent a top Government official in South Africa.
I have a very sensitive and private brief proposal
from this top Government Official to ask for your
partnership to re-profile funds over Fourteen Million
Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($14.5M).

I will give the details, but in summary, the funds
are coming via a finance company in Europe/America
and this is a legitimate transaction. You will be
paid %25 for your "management/consultancy fees",
if I am able to reach terms with you. If you are
able to work to earn those fees, please write back
immediately by Email / Fax and provide me with your
confidential telephone number, and email address and
I will provide further details.

Please keep this close to your chest as much as
possible; we cannot afford any scandal in South
Africa. Write me back.

I look Forward to it.

Regards,
Michael Hulley.
Private email:mchulley@elitemail.org



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