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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: "Bank of China" <liu@boc.com>
Reply-To: liuchow12@yahoo.com.tw
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 2009 11:27:38 -0200 (UYST)
Subject: can i trust you?? my business proposal

I am Mr. Liu Chow, financial director, Bank of China.
Our Client, Gen Robiah Aziz, a businessman and also who was with the Iraqi
forces, made a fixed deposit, of Seventeen million Three Hundred Thousand
United State Dollars only in my branch, a number of notices was sent to
him, before the war which began in 2003 and also after the war but, no
response came from him. We later found out that the General along with his
wife and only daughter had been killed during the war in a bomb blast that
hit their home.

After more inquiry it was also discovered that the late Gen. did not
declare any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of
his bank deposit. What bothers me most is according to the laws of my
country at the expiration of 6 years the funds will be revert to the
ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody comes for the funds,
Against this scenery, I have all the information needed to claim these
funds and I want you to act as the beneficiary of the deposit, there is no
risk involved in this matter, as we are going to adopt a legitimate method
and the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents.

All I require is your honest co-operation and I guarantee that this will
be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any
breach of the law. Please accept my apologies and keep my confidence.
Considering the money involved, and due to the nature of this transaction,
it is necessary for you to be sure of whom you are transacting with. I
want to be sure that you are ready, to execute this transaction with me,
What I expect from you is trust and commitment, I want this large sum of
money transferred with your assistance and you should have nothing to
worry about regarding legality AT ALL, because what affects you Shall also
affects me too, considering the paper work we are about to sign together
but, I will appreciate you to follow my directives amicably as everything
shall be done in accordance passing through all international banking
laws, and as a banker I know that if we follow up this transaction
diligently it would be completed within 9 working days.

Thank you,
Mr. Liu Chow


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