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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: Alexander Ramage Associates <ara@Ramage.co.uk>
Reply-To: arachambrs@live.co.uk
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:57:53 -0400
Subject: Legal Business Proposal.

Attn: Friend,

I am Mr. Alexander Ramage. (Esq.) Attorney and secretary to my late diseased
client of Gulf stream crude oil. Prior to his unexpected death in August 2006
deposited $18.5M USD on trust with a Bank. Eventually, he died in a
plane crash
and since his death, nobody has Apply for the claims of his estate as the next
of kin.Because he died intestate.

It is a situation I have monitored closely. Now having monitored this deposit
and managed it over the years before his death and hence nobody has showed up
as the next of kin for the past years.

I now solicit for your assistance to present you as the next of kin as every
other arrangement has been concluded by me. I am only waiting for a foreigner
to take possession of the deposit. There is no risk attached to it as the
entire document required for claims will be obtained legally by me as
his proxy.

I cannot make claim regarding the funds, all I have to do is to donate
somebody
as his next of kin and beneficiary to make claim of the said fund for us to
share as Partners. I therefore request you to confirm your interest by
a return
message and I will forward details and more information on how to go about the
subject matter.

To facilitate a rather more secured link with you, kindly indulge me with the
following:

1). Full Names, sex and Address
2). Telephone, Fax and Cell phone numbers.

This project is ready for execution as soon as I hear from you. I look forward
to your swift response to this letter.

Sincerely Yours.
Alexander Ramage. (Esq.)
Principal Partner (Alexander Ramage Associates)

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