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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: paul viduka <pviduka2@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: infopaulprivate@yahoo.com.hk
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:26:39 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: INVERSION RE:29//08/2007


Hello,
My name is Mr. Paul Viduka, Regional Head of British Isles (Royal Bank of Canada Investment Management (UK) Limited).I am writing in respect of a Switzerland British Citizen customer of my bank Mr. Victor Ratnavale, who died together with his wife in a Plane crash on Monday 7th September 1998 GMT 14:22 UK while they were flying from New York to Geneva. Please see http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9809/swissair.victims.list/index.html for more information.
The late Mr. Victor Ratnavale left in our bank the sum of twenty five million five hundred thousand pounds (25.5 million pounds) and nobody will ever come for this money because he died with his entire family. I am the only person that is aware of this money since Mr. Victor Ratnavale did not give to my bank any next of kin to inherit his money.
Now, I want to use my position in the bank to transfer this money to your country for investment. If you can provide me with an account where I can transfer this (twenty five million five hundred thousand pounds)25.5 million pounds. I will give you 40% of this entire fund while the remaining 50% shall be for me, extra 10% will be for transfer charges.
I am hoping to get a favourable response from you.
Mr. Paul Viduka.


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