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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: "Dinther Helmut"<dinther66@ymail.com>
Reply-To: <dinther@terra.com.mx>
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2009 16:04:13 +0300
Subject: Beneficiary opportunity.

Mr. Dinther Helmut Udo
Valiant Privat Bank AG
Postfach,
3001 Bern,
Switzerland.
Confidential Tel  : +870-764107753
Confidential Fax  : +870-764107751
Email: dintherhelmut@terra.com.mx
 
Hello,
 
I am contacting you on a business transaction of a huge sum of money
from a deceased account, though I know a transaction of this magnitude
will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I’m assuring you that
all will be well at the end of the day and this is why am contacting you
due to the urgency of this transaction.
 
We discovered an abandoned sum of (Seven million five hundred Thousand
United States dollars) in an account that belongs to one of Our foreign
customer who died along side with his entire family, and ever Since his
death none of his next of kin or relations has come forward to lay claim
for this money as his heir.
 
We cannot release the funds from his account unless someone applies for
Claim as the next of kin to the deceased as indicated on our banking
Guidelines. Upon this discovery we now seek your permission to have you
stand as a next of kin to the deceased in which all documentations Will be
carefully worked out by us for the (Seven million five hundred Thousand
United States dollars) to be released in your favour as the
Beneficiary’s/next of kin to the deceased. And It may interest you to know
that we have secured from the probate an order of mandamus to locate any of
the deceased beneficiary.
 
Kindly acknowledge receipt of this message in acceptance of our mutual
business endeavour by furnishing me with the following;
 
1. Beneficiary name and contact address.
2. Direct telephone, fax and Mobile numbers.
3. Date of birth and occupation.
 
These requirements will enable us file letter of claim to the appropriate
departments and authorities for necessary approvals for the release of the
funds in your favour, before the transfer can be made to you. And we will be
compensating you with thirty percent of the total funds on final conclusion of
this project, while the rest will be for us and for investment purposes. 
 
If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of the trust
we have bestowed in you.
 
NB: If you are willing to assist me, including the information's i have requested
from you, call me on my confidential Tel: +870-764107753. For further details on
what to do next.
 
I await your response and call.
 
Please call me and Respond to Email: dintherhelmut@terra.com.mx
 
Regards.
 
Mr. Dinther Helmut Udo.
 
Confidential Tel  : +870-764107753
Confidential Fax  : +870-764107751.
 

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