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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Owen Steven" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <owenste7@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:19:31 +0100
Subject: Good Day

With Due Respect,

I am Mr. Owen Steven, am one of the Staff of our Bank. On the 2nd of January 2005, I received a call that one of my customer died in the Tsunami Disaster with his wife and only child while on Vacation at Phuket Island in Thailand. Since Then I have made several enquiries to locate any of my customer's extended relatives and until date have not succeeded.

I have contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client before it gets confiscated by our bank or declared Unserviceable by our bank where this deposit is lodged.

Now, the bank Directors has called a board meeting regarding these Funds. So my main motive right now is to share this great opportunity with you by presenting you as the Next of Kin to the Deceased since all his Banking details are with me as his personal Account Officer. And the Deceased Account valued at US$10,000.000.00 (Ten Million United States Dollars).

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the biological relatives of my late client, I hereby seek your consent to present you to the bank as next-of-kin of the deceased since you are a foreigner, so that the proceeds of this account valued at US$10,000.000.00 can be transferred to you as inheritance and there after, you and I can share the money; 50% to me and 40% to you, while 10% will be donated to the Tsunami Disaster Charity Fund.

We shall start the first transfer with US$5,000.000.00 (Five Million United States Dollars only), upon the successful actualization of the First transfer without any disappointment from your side, we shall Re-apply for the payment of the remaining amount to your account.

I have the original copy of Certificate of Deposit of the funds, which will be used to substantiate our inheritance claims. All I Require is your consent and honest co-operation to enable us see the deal through.

Furthermore, I guarantee that the transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.

Please contact me if you are interested immediately.

Best regards,
Mr. Owen Steven.

Anti-fraud resources: