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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: "silva dossou" <meandu9@fastwebmail.it>
Reply-To: mesilva.dossou@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:01:34 +0100
Subject: hoping to read from you


Dear Friend
I am writing you from Cotonou, republic of Benin. I work in a bank here and
there is the sum of $11.5M floating in a dormant account that belongs to a
late customer who died alongside his younger brother in the crash of
December, 2003. www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/12/26/benin.crash/

I will like this money be transfered into your account as the next of kin of
the deceased customer because the money will automatically go into
government treasury at the end of this year. Reply this mail while I furnish
you on how this will work out.

Yours faithfully,
Miss Silva Dossou

Anti-fraud resources: