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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: "Benedicta Akeem" <ben2259@klikni.cz>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2008 00:45:05 +0000
Subject: PLEASE DO ACCEPT MY SINCERE APOLOGIES


FROM MS AKEEM BENEDICTA
RUE 6 BP 01COCODY ABIDJAN
COTE D IVOIRE.


DEAREST ONE,

I KNOW MY MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS A SURPRISE SINCE
I DONT KNOW YOU IN PERSON OR MET WITH YOU BEFORE BUT
AM OF THE BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE OBLIGED TO COME TO
MY ASSISTANCE AFTER HEARING ABOUT MY SITUATION. I AM
AKEEN BENEDICTA.

I WAS FORMELY A MEDICAL STUDENT OF UNIVERSITY OF
ABIDJAN,IVORY COAST WEST AFRICA.LATE LAST TWO YEARS
,THE REBELS IN MY COUNTRY STRUCK OUR TOWNSHIP AND
KILLED MY PARENTS AND MY ONLY BROTHER BECAUSE MY
FATHER WAS AN OPPOSITION LEADER TO THE PRESIDENT OF
MY COUNTRY IVORY COAST .

BEFORE HIS DEATH HE HAS $9.5 M USD (Nine Million ,
Five Hundred Thousand dollars.)IN A DOMICILIARY
ACCOUNT WITH A BANK IN COTE D IVOIRE WHICH I AM THE
NEXT OF KIN. PLEASE I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE
FOLLOWING WAYS.

1)TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND
2)TO PROVIDE A BANK ACCOUNT WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD BE
TRANSFERRED .
3)TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER AFTER THIS
MONEY IS TRANSFERRED TO COMPLETE MY STUDIES AND ALSO
LOOK FOR A GOOD VENTURE WHERE THIS MONEY WILL BE
INVESTED,I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 20% OF TH TOTAL SUM
AS COMPENSATION OF YOUR EFFORT AND 5% FOR ANY OTHER
EXPENCES YOU MIGHT MAKE AFTER A SUCCESFUL TRANSFER.

THANKS AND GOD BLESS YOU
SINCERELY
MS AKEEM BENEDICTA

Anti-fraud resources: