419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "hundred thousand united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "robert mugabe" (the name of a person or institution often appearing in 419 scams)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "MR. DAVID SANTOS" <mrdsantos01@gmail.com>
Reply-To: <davidsantosfamily@mcom.com>
Date: Fri, 3 May 2013 17:19:52 +0200
Subject: >>SPAM<<
US$31.5M INVESTMENT PROPOSAL

From: Mr. David Santos
18 Sun height Randburg East
Johannesburg South Africa

US$31.5M INVESTMENT PROPOSAL
Dear Friend.

This may appear a bit surprising to you but very beneficial as a matter of urgency, I am desperately looking for a foreign partner Investor, whom I can trust to handle some investment and fund movement. I am Mr. David Santos
the son of late Mr. Larry Santos, who was murdered by the Zimbabwean veterans and irate black people. I am writing from Johannesburg South Africa.

I write to solicit for your special assistance to a family shattered by a tyrannical government led by a dictator and his (ZANU-PF) ruling party-president Robert Mugabe. Because of land and farm land crisis in Zimbabwe, the government secretly sponsored the war veterans and some irate party members to dispossess the land being occupied by white farmers.

This action has led to the killing of some members of opposition party including my father Mr. Larry Santos. But before the death of my father, he anticipated some dangers and so he deposited the sum of US$31,500,000.00 (Thirty-one Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in a reputable security company in South Africa with the intention of using it to open fertilizer manufacturing company.

The war veterans and some supporters of (ZANU-PF) ruling party Trooped into our compound and axed him (my father) to death. But I managed to escape to a neighboring country South Africa as a political asylum seeker (Refugee) but my Refugee position here in South Africa does not permit me to open an account or run any huge legal financial business to the permit rules and regulation in South Africa Refugee law.

That is why I want this fund to be transferred into your private account overseas, so that you will assist me to invest it in your country. Hence, if you agree to assist me to claim the fund from the security company, I will offer you 30% of the money for your assistance, while 70% will be for my investment in your country through your assistance. You may wish to read about the problem in my country Zimbabwe through the following links: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/918781.stm

Upon your immediate response, I will immediately arrange and send to you all the information's that will empower your good self in finalizing the transaction with the security company here in South Africa. I need your urgent and confidential response.

Yours Truly,
Mr. David Santos

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam