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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: "From Dr Martin Hamilton"<drmartinhamilton209@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: <drmartinhamilton2@live.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2009 06:12:42 -0700
Subject: HELLO

From: Dr Martin Hamilton..
The Manager Hsbc  Bank,
Central South East Branch
London,UK.
Attn:
I got your contact during my search for a reliable, honest and a trustworthy
person to entrust this huge transfer project. My name is Dr Martin Hamilton. I
am the manager of the HSBC Bank Central South East Branch, London, UK. I
am an Irish/British Citizen, married with two kids.
I am writing to solicit for your assistance in the transfer of funds valued
at ? 10,000.000,00 (Ten million British Pounds) sterling.
This fund is the excess profit made during the last annual audition. I have
already submitted an approved end of the year report for 2009 to my head
office here in London and they will never know of the said excess profit. I
have since then, placed this excess profit valued ? 10,000.000.00 in a
suspense escrow account without a beneficiary.
As a Senior officer of the bank, I cannot directly be connected to this money
thus I am impelled to request your assistance to receive this Money into your
bank account. I intend to give 20% of this fund to you as compensation while
70% shall be for me and the Bank accredited Lawyer who will conclude all
Legal endorsements on your behalf prior to the transfer proper 10% will be for expenses. I do stress
that there are practically no risk involved in this. It is going to be a
bank- to-bank transfer.
All I need from you is to stand as the original depositor of the fund, which
is the reason why i must involve the Bank Attorney who is also a financial consultant.
If you accept this offer, I will appreciate your timely response. I will
release my personal details as well as my direct contact telephone number to
you as soon as I read from you.
via the following information.
reply to this Email: drmartinhamilton2@live.com
Yours Sincerely,
Dr Martin Hamilton.

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