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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:
  • "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
  • "i will like you to " (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "utmost confidentiality" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "lagos" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
• This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR.OLAYINKA ADEBIYI" <lewis-mskle@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: olayinka_adebiyi@satellite-email.com
Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:32:10 +0000
Subject: Please respond

MR.OLAYINKA ADEBIYI
INTERCONTINENTAL BANK PLC
LAGOS,NIGERIA.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I must apologize for this unsolicited nature of my email. I am Mr. Olayinka
Adebiyi, Executive Director, Strategy and Finance. This is an urgent and
very confidential business proposition.

On February, 2003,a Foreign contractor with Niger Delta development
Commission(NDDC), Mr. Brian Cole made a numbered time (Fixed) Deposit for
twelve calendar months, valued at US$10,500,000.00, (Ten Million, five
hundred thousand Dollars). Upon maturity, I sent a routine notification to
his forwarding address but got no reply.

After a month, we sent a reminder and finally we discovered from his
contract employers, Niger Delta development Commission (NDDC) that Mr. Brian
Cole died of cardiac arrest (heart failure). On further investigation, I
found out that he died without making a WILL and all attempts to trace his
next of kin were fruitless.

I therefore made further investigation and discovered that Mr. Brian Cole
did not declare any kin or relations in all his official documents,
including his Bank Deposit paperwork in my Bank. This sum of
US$10,500,000.00 has carefully been fixed in my bank for safekeeping. No one
will ever come forward to claim it. According to Nigerian Law, at the
expiration of 5 (five) years, the money will revert to the ownership of the
Government if nobody applies to claim the fund.

Consequently, my proposal is that I will like you as a Foreigner to stand in
as the owner of the money, which was fixed, deposited in my bank. I am
writing you because I as a public servant, I cannot operate a foreign
account.

I want to present you as the owner of the funds so you can be able to claim
them with the help of my attorney. This is simple. I will like you to
provide immediately your full names and address so that the Attorney will
prepare the necessary documents, which will put you in place as the
beneficiary of the funds.

The money will be moved out for us to share in the ratio of 70% for me and
30% for you. The Attorney will do the paperwork for this transaction. If you
are interested, please reply immediately via my email address and upon your
response, I shall then provide you with more details and relevant documents
that will help you understand the transaction.

Please observe utmost confidentiality, and be rest assured that this
transaction would be most profitable for both of us because I shall require
your assistance to invest my share in real estate within your country..

Awaiting your urgent reply via my email above.
Thanks and my regards.
Mr. Olayinka Adebiyi



***********************************************************************************************************
Confidentiality Notice: The information in this e-mail is confidential and
may also be the subject of legal privilege. It is intended solely for the
addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify me
immediately. You are hereby placed on notice that any copying, publication
or any other form of dissemination of this e-mail or its contents is
prohibited.
This footnote also confirms that MIMEsweeper has swept this email message
for the presence of computer viruses.
***********************************************************************************************************

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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam