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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: Congo Salif <congo.salif2010@gmail.com>
Reply-To: congosalf2010@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 10:00:07 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Mr. Congo Salif




Attn: Dear Friend. This message might meet you in utmost surprise. However, it’s just my urgent need for a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction. I got your contact from internet search while I was searching for a foreign partner.
 
I am Mr. Congo Salif, a banker by profession in Burkina-Faso, West African and currently holding the post of secretary to foreign remittance director in our bank. I need your urgent assistance in transferring the left over funds of fifteen Million,  ($15 Million Dollars) belonging to our late customer who died along with his entire family during the Iraq crisis on October 2006. The deceased customer used his wife as the next of kin but unfortunately the wife died alongside with him leaving nobody for the claim.
 
According to our banking policy; if any fund remains unclaimed for seventy two calendar months, then the fund will be transferred into the reserve bank as unclaimed bill, so that is why I contacted you, so that you can apply as the Sole Beneficiary to the deceased customer, because I don’t want the fund to go into the bank treasury as an unclaimed fund. You can visit the website and read the news on BBC and CNN regarding their death.
 
 http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/11/iraq.deaths/
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6040054.stm
Your Full Name.......................... ...
Your Sex........................... .......
Your Age..................
Your Country...........
Marital Status...........
Your Occupation.......                                                         
Your Personal Mobile Number................
Your Personal Fax Number..................... Hence; I am inviting you for a business deal where this money can be shared between us in the ratio of 50% for me and 50% for you if you agree to handle this business with me. Further details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as I receive your response. I am expecting to hear from you shortly.
 
Thanks & Best Regards,
 
Mr. Congo Salif.      



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