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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: Curtis Gyan <leanne.petrie@xtra.co.nz>
Reply-To: curtisgyan@gmail.com
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:59:50 +1200 (NZST)
Subject: PERSONAL MEMO/ Kindly view message and get back to me asap


Dear Respectful

I am Mr.Curtis Gyan from London, here in United Kingdom. I work in one of
the banks in United Kingdom. I am writing you from my office because of an
opportunity that will be of an immense benefit for both of us. In my
department, being the Manager Credit and Foreign Bills(London Regional
Office),I will need your assistance in this business transaction.I would
like you to stand as the next of kin to my deceased client,Mr Paul Louis
Halley, who died in a plane crash on 6th December 2003.

You can see the below web site for your clarifications of the incident
leading to PAUL LOUIS HALLEY Death: :

http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/4537663.stm

He was a business tycoon who made a deposit of £17.4Million with our bank..He
died without any registered next of kin and as such the funds now have an
open beneficiary mandate. And the banking ethics here does not allow such
money to stay more than nine years,because the money will be recalled to the
bank treasury as unclaimed bill after this period.

On your confirmation of this message and indicating your interest, I will
furnish you with more details.

Please endeavor to provide me the following in your reply.

1.Your Full Name:

2.Your Contact Address:

3.Your Profession:

4.Your Age:

5.Your Phone&Fax Number:

I urgently hope to get your response as soon as possible.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr.Curtis Gyan
Manager Credit and Foreign Bills
(London Regional Office)


Anti-fraud resources: