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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: "DR. BARRY DAVID" <aprilgilliland@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: moneygramonline1@sify.com
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:13:15 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: MONEY GRAM PAYMENT









Welcome
 
FORIGN OPERATION MANAGER  MONEY  GRAM  INT'L.
OFFICE COTONOU REPUBLIC OF BENIN
LOCATION. RUE BPH141KINGSTON AVENUE COTONOU BENIN.
TEL:+229 98291458
REF: MT89TQ CONTACT: Email: ( moneygramonline1@sify.com)
 
ATTN BENEFICIARY. SIR--MADAM
 
WE ARE EMAILING YOU  SEQUAL TO YOUR  E-MAIL,I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT TRYING TO OFFEND  YOU IN ANYWHERE BUT ONLY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU  FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCESS IN GETTING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT THROUGH OUR OFFICE AS YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS A MONEY-GRAM AGENTS AND ALSO A GOVERNMENT INC.COMPANY. 
 
YOUR TOTAL SUM OF $800.000.00 USD WAS DEPOSITED IN OUR CUSTODY BY YOUR PARTNER TO BE PAID TO YOU THROUGH ATM CARD BUT WE CAN NOT LONGER COMPLETE THE PAYMENT THROUGH ATM CARD DUE TO THE PROBLEM OUR ATM PAYMENT DEPARTMENT IS HAVING WITH IMF SO YOUR PAYMENT WAS MOVED TO OUR CUSTODY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO YOU VIA MONEY-GRAM.
 
NOTE:YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PAY THE SUM OF $398USD BEFORE THIS MONEY-GRAN OPERATING BRANCH CAN RECONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT FILE AND IT WILL SERVE AS THE COST OF SIGNING YOUR PAYMENT FILE TO ENABLE US BE ABLE TO SEND YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT OF  $8,000,$4,000,00,$4,000,00,USD DAILY AS PLANED WITH YOUR PARTNER,YOU ARE HEREBY INSTRUCT TO GET  BACK TO THIS NOBLE OFFICE WITH THE REQUIRED FEE.
 
I AM TRUST WORTHY TO NOTIFY YOU THAT YOUR FIRST PAYMENT MUST DEFINATELY GET TO YOUR HANDS AS  SOON YOU SEND THE (USD$398) TODAY.
 

YOU ARE TO ANSWER THIS LITTLE TEXT TO CONFIRM THAT WE ARE HANDLING YOUR INHERITANCE PAYMENT ACCORDLY TO THE RIGHT DIRECTION.PLEASE YOU ARE EXPECTING TO REPLY BACK TO THIS MONEY-GRAM OFFICE SO THAT WE PROCEED AHEAD AND COMMERCE YOUR PAYMENT ONCE YOU RECONFIRM YOUR PERSONAL FILE AS LISTED BELOW AND SEND THE REQUESTED FEE OF $398USD TODAY WITH THE INSTRUCTION BELOW.
 
FULL NAME
PHONE.
HOME ADDRESS...
COUNTRY......
TELEPHONE NUMBER..
CITY.....
SECRET QUESTION..
ANSWER.......
 
USE THE INFORMATION BELOW TO SEND THE MANDATORY REQUIRE FEE TOTAL SUM  OF $398  VIA MONEY-GRAM TO ENABLE US PICK IT FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HERE AND RECONFIRM YOUR PAYMENT FILE APPROVAL FROM THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND COMMERCE YOUR DAILY PAYMENT OF $8,000.
 
RCEIVE NAME: ONUORAH BARTHOLOMEW
CONTRY: REPUBLIC OF BENIN
CITY: COTONOU
CODE: 00229
Amount: $398.00


 
AS SOON AS YOU RECEIVED THIS EMAIL KINDLY COMPLY WITH THIS INSTRUCTIONS AND BE REST ASSURE THAT YOUR PAYMENT WILL COMMERCE IMMEDIATELY BY THIS OFFICE ONCE WE CONCLUDE RECONFIRMING YOUR PAYMENT FILE FROM THE RIGHT OFFICE.
 
WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY AND IMAGE OF THIS MONEY-GRAM YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT DELAYING CAN BE VERY DANGERIOUS AND MAY COURSE YOU MISFORTUNE IN RECEIVING YOUR FUND,YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER .
 
SINCE THIS OFFICE IS MAKING ALL NECESSARYL ARRANGEMENT TO BE SURE THAT YOUR PAYMENT IS BEEN COMMERCE  ONCE WE CONFIRM THE REQUESTED PAYMENT AND INFORMATIONS.
 
YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD TO SEND US THAT REQUIRED ($398USD) AND BE REST ASSURED THAT WITHIN 24 HOURS YOUR MONEY WILL BE CONFIRM TO YOUR ADDRESS AND YOU WILL CASH IT FROM ANY OF OUR CORRUSPONDANT MONEY-GRAM BRANCH THERE IN YOUR COUNTRY BE REST ASSURE OF THIS MONEY-GRAM OFFICE INTERGRITY AND PERSONAL INTERGRITY.
 
URGENT RESPOND NEEDED FROM YOU.

THANKS.
YOURS SINCERELLY
E-MAIL.: moneygramonline1@sify.com

HONOURABLE  DR. BARRY DAVID
FORIGN OPERATION MANAGER 
MONEY GRAM OFFICE REPUBLIC OF BENIN
 

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