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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: briansithole@sify.com
Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 04:01:18 +0200
Subject: Please reply a.s.a.p.

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 Brian
Sithole 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 A 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/
More details about the deceased himself, you can check on
(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 Brian Sithole..
briansithole@inbox.com
Sandton Johannesburg,
South Africa.


Anti-fraud resources: