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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: "Mr. Vladimir Kalinin" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kalinin_vladimir@live.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2012 23:39:37 -0800
Subject: TRUST

Greetings.
 
I got your contact through prayers and painstaking efforts
in my search for a reliable and God fearing person to help me carry
out my last wish. My name is Mr. KALININ VLADIMIR from United Arab Emirates presently,
I am in London where I am receiving medical care.
Prior to my ailment, I was a merchant and business owner in
malaysia and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. I was also married with
five children. My wife and five children died in a bomb blast in Iraq
where they reside four years ago. Before this happened, my business and concern for making money was all I lived for.
 
I never really cared about other values in life. But since
the loss of my family, I have found a new desire to assist helpless
families. I have been helping orphans in orphanage/motherless homes. I have alsodonated some
money for humanitarian needs in some African countries.
 
Only recently, I saw on television the colossal loss of properties and
livelihood of people in Canberra, Australia through Water flood.
I was moved with great pity and compassion that I decided to make a contribution on assisting people over there, Before I became
ill, I kept $145,000,000 Million one hundred and fourty-five million
USD, in a finance company. Presently, I'm in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer.
 
I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few weeks to live. It is my last wish to see
this money distributed to the needy and other charity organizations.
 
Because relatives and friends have plundered so much of my wealth
since my illness, I cannot live with the agony of entrusting this
huge responsibility to any of them. Please, I beg you in the
name of God to help me collect the deposit from the finance company
and distribute it accordingly.
Use your judgment to distribute the money and keep 20% of
it to yourself. If you are willing to help, please forward to me
your (1)FULL NAME,(2)HOME ADDRESS,(3) OCCUPATION,(4)
TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER for easy communication and to prepare the vital
documents in your name as the soul beneficiary of the funds.
Note please reply to my private e-mail address:
kalinin_vladimir@live.com
 
May God Bless you as you assist me in carrying out my last wish.
 
God Bless.
KALININ VLADIMIR

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