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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

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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.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "mariam abacha" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
  • "sani abacha" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "DR. MRS MARIAM ABACHA" <abacha_4family02@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: abacha_4family01@yahoo.co.in
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 08:32:14 +0000
Subject: HAPPY NEW YEAR.

ABACHA`S ROYAL FAMILY ESTATE DEVELOPERS/CONSULTANT.

Dear sir\madam,
I am delighted to write this letter to you hoping that you will understand
my predicament and answer back without hesitation. I am DR.(MRS.) MARIAM
ABACHA wife of the late Nigerian Head
of State GENERAL SANI ABACHA. I got your contact through business inquires
from the chamber or commerce as I was making contact for a Honest foreigner
who will help save my life and my children, hence our country has been
frustrating to us since the death of my husband.
I am in possession of $18,000.000 (EIGHTEEN MILLION U.S DOLLARS) that I want
to invest in your country. For your clarification and understanding, this
money is in a truck box, which was deposited with a finance and security
company in disguise as a family treasure since 5th of May 1999. It is
not an ill gotten wealth rather it was WILLED to me by my late husband. On
your acceptance to render this assistance to me, I will instruct the finance
company to effect the change of ownership of this fund to your name as the
bona-fide owner/my next of kin to enable you retrieve the fund since the box
cannot be moved out of our country by the family's name.
It is very important that you forward to me your private telephone and fax
numbers/occupation, to enable me send all relevant documents pertaining the
deposit of this fund to you. Bear in mind that this transaction demands
absolute confidentiality because all properties, assets and bank accounts
both local and international bearing the ABACHA’S family name, are been
confiscated by the Already elected civilian President of Nigeria so called
(President Olusegun Obasanjo) hence I will not want to be exposed. For your
knowledge, 15% of this fund $18,000.000 (EIGHTEEN MILLION U.S DOLLARS) will
be given to you if you assist me to secure this fund and another 5% has set
aside for all the expenses you might incur during the process of securing
this fund.
Example: TELEPHONE/FAX BILLS and any other miscellaneous expenses. And bear
in mind that this is the only remaining fund for the survival of my family.
Thanks as I wait for your immediate reply.
View this website
1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/877113.stm
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2282366.stm
3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1606565.stm
4. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1576527.stm.
Yours truly.
Dr. Mrs Mariam Abacha.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam