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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: "Phillips Masekela" <phillipsmasekela@msn.com>
Date: Sun, 02 Oct 2005 00:25:27 +0000
Subject: Flight 261.

Dear friend

I have a proposal for you. This however is not mandatory
nor will I in any manner compel you to honor it if it is
against your will and also I am sorry for contacting you
through this medium but I feel it is more confidential.
I am Barrister Phillips Masekela of Johannesburg South
Africa, and a personal attorney to one Mr. Morris Thompson
holding a dual citizenship of the United States Of America
and the Republic of South Africa. Mr. Morris Thompson
accomplished series ofcontracts in the republic of South
Africa as a registered civil contractor category E from
1995 and received a number of payments normally in form of
Cash. Unfortunately he met his death in an Alaska Airlines
Flight 261.

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/US/02/01/alaska.airlines.list/
Moredetails about the deceased himself, you can checkon
(http://www.nativefederation.org/history/people/mThompson.html)

Upon this development I was called upon by the financial
authorities in South Africa ( South African National
Treasury) to present a beneficiary to Mr. Morris Thompson
as the sum of US$9.5Million( Nine Million Five Hundred
Thousand United States Dollars) is due to be paid to him.
This is borne from the fact that Mr. Morris Thompson did
not include any beneficiary or next of kin in the documents
available to the South African financial authorities.
I am hereby contacting you so that I can present you as the
beneficiary or the next of kin to Mr. Morris Thompson. Bear
in mind that all relevant documents relating to Mr. Morris
Thompson's contracts are intact with me and would be used
as at when required.

Bear also in mind that this transaction is 100% risk free
and I would advise that it requires total confidentiality.
I would be expecting a response from you and please forward
your direct contact details like:

Direct Tel
Direct Fax
Physical Address

For your assistance in this transaction I would be willing
to give you 35% of the total sum and the rest 65% would be
for me. As soon as the transaction is accomplished and the
amount remitted to you/your account, I would travel down to
your country for my share of the total sum. Please get back
to me urgently with the requirements so that we can have a
comprehensive communication on this regard.

Yours faithfully,

Barrister Phillips Masekela.
phillips_masek12345@hotmail.com
Sandton Johannesburg,
South Africa.


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