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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.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "private email" <way2014in@hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 01 Oct 2005 18:13:01 +0200
Subject: Reply Immediately

Mr. Duncan Malan Edison
malanduncan@myway.com
maazyedison03@alex4all.com
Tel: +87-476-359-1425 ,
Fax: +87-476-359-1426

Attn,

RE: TRANSFER OF US$168.559 MILLION TO YOUR ACCOUNT.

I feel quite safe dealing with you in this important business. Though, this
medium (Internet) has been greatly abused, I choose to reach you through it
because it still remains the fastest medium of communication. However, this
correspondence is unofficial and private, and it should be treated as such.

I am Mr. Duncan Malan Edison, the operational manager in account management
section in charge of credit and foreign bills in a prime bank here in South
Africa. On a routine inspection, I discovered a dormant domiciliary account
with Balance of US$168,559,000 (One Hundred and Sixty Eight Million Five
Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand U.S dollars Only). The account holder was
incharge of President Saddam Hussein's secret crude oil transactions in
Africa. On further discreet investigation, I discovered that the account
holder died long ago with his family on a fatal Auto-accident leaving no
beneficiary to the account and no other person knows about it.

I am in close contact with the bank manager here who is my partner and is
willing to approve the transfer to any reliable and trustworthy foreigner
with foreign bank account because the former owner of the a/c is a
foreigner. The account has no writen or oral WILL attached to it. I will
provide the necessary information and documents needed in order to claim
this money if you agree to receive this fund in your account pending my
arrival in your country for sharing and on receipt of your Bank Account
Details where the fund will be transferred.

We will start with THIRTY EIGHT MILLION. At the end, 80% will be for me and
my partner, 15% for you and 5% will be set aside for expenses incurred on
both sides during the transfer. We are affected by South African Civil
Service Code of Conduct Laws that prohibits Civil Servants from operating
Private Foreign Accounts.

Your cooperation is highly needed.

Yours Faithfully,
Mr. Duncan Malann Edison

_________________________________________________________________
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