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

Fraud email example:

From: MRS MARIAM ABACHA <abacha_4family02@yahoo.co.in>
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 09:41:43 +0000 (GMT)
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.


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