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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.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Michael Tang" <catch8@modify642.onmicrosoft.com>
Reply-To: <Michael_tang@live.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2013 15:12:14 +0530
Subject: DEAR FRIEND

Hello,

I am Mr. Michael Tang, a seasoned Banker with Malaysia HSBC Bank (Malaysia office),i once again try to notify you as my earlier letter returned undelivered. I hereby attempt to reach you again by this same email address following a business proposal which I sent to you last time which requires mutual business co-operation, I hereby resent my proposition and also require your final consent. I sit as an account officer to a deceased customer of our bank; we lost this customer in the tsunami disaster on the 26th December 2004 in Sumatra Indonesia. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/26/newsid_4631000/4631713.stm and his account of $19.761.000 (Nineteen million, seven hundred and sixty one thousand US dollars) with us have been unclaimed due to unavailability of next of kin/relatives to claim his estate.

My late customer was awarded two different contracts with Shell Development Company here before his untimely demise on 26th December 2004.

In accordance with the escheat laws in Malaysia as a kingdom, the board of directors of the bank met forth night ago and resolved to turn the estate of the deceased over to Government having waited for too long without the deceased relatives/next of kin surfacing property and if this is done, invariably, the funds will end up to become Government property and it is as a result of this that am moved to contact you considering the fact that you share almost the same name with the deceased.

In view of this, I am seeking your cooperation and understanding to stand as the deceased next of kin to enable us claim the inheritance before the period given by the bank elapse. If you are interested and in agreement with me, get back to me quickly and I will send to you all our bank contacts and the information you may need to proceed without coming to Malaysia, and be rest assured that it is risk free project and the proceedings will be shared 50% each once the fund are repatriated into your account anywhere in the world.

Please to (Michael_tang@live.com) reply with your information including your telephone number for easy communication and oral discussion. I await your prompt response thanks.


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