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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: Steve Wilfred <stevewlfred@live.com>
Reply-To: stevewifred@live.com
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:40:00 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Requesting for your response


From Mr. S.K Wilfred
Tel: +23326872603
 
Attention,
 
I am pleased to send my compliments to you, and entrusting your confidence on this fruitful business partnership proposal. My name is Mr. S.K Wilfred, the Account Auditor General with ADBank here in Ghana whose operational license was revoked seven years ago by the Government. With the regaining of the license we have been called by the management for the internal compilation of the list of customers/depositors for repayment.
 
I have been in custody of an account which I was the accounting officer belonging to a foreigner,this account have a total sum of 18.2 Million US Dollars, and it have been confirmed that the beneficiary died of cardiac arrest on getting news of the death of his only son in a plane crash.Ever since this sadden news got to the bank I have been expecting his relative or next of kin to lay claim on this fund, before our operational license was seized but all in vain.
 
The Banking law and guideline of my country stipulates that if such money remains unclaimed after five years it will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund, with the recent release of the operational license of this bank, it is a good chance for me to convert the fund for self utilization, to avoid the transfer of this fund into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request of foreign partner as next of kin in this business is occasioned by the fact that the customer was a foreigner and me as a Ghanaian can not lay claim or stand as next of kin to a foreigner.
 
This transaction is Hitch free,I have perfected all arrangement on this with my experience as a banker to have you present before the bank as the business associate of this customer to facilitate the immediate transfer of the fund to you as arranged. I have resolved that 30 percent of the fund will be for your teamed work while I take 70 percent as the initiator for my investment intention in your country. I expect a straight answer from you if you can handle this project so that I can furnish you with further details on how to proceed next. Respond via my private mailbox for privacy and introduce yourself properly.
 
Sincerely yours,
Mr. S.K Wilfred

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