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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.Johnson M. John" <johnson000014@yopmail.com>
Reply-To: johnsonmj222@terra.com
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 20:22:55 +0200
Subject: Reply, It's Urgent.

Attention:

I am contacting you based on a transfer of funds from a deceased account here in the Bank which I work as an accountant. Though, I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all arrangements will be legally done, I am contacting you due to its urgency. All documentation expense process will be taking care of by me, you really do not need to worry about that.

I discovered an abandoned sum of (Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) in an account that belongs to our foreign customer (late) who died along with his entire family and I noticed you both bear the same Surname. Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come forward to lay claims over this fund as the beneficiary. The funds cannot be released from his account unless someone applies for claims as the next-of-kin/beneficiary to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.

Upon discovery, I now seek your permission to have you stand as next of kin/beneficiary to the deceased as all documentation will be carefully and legally worked out by me for the funds to be released in your favor as the beneficiary/next of kin

Please furnish me with the following if you are interested;

1. Beneficiary Name and Present Contact Address.
2. Direct Telephone, Fax and Mobile Number.
3. Date of Birth and Occupation

This information will enable us file a letter of claims to the appropriate departments for necessary approval documents in your favor before the transfer can be made. I shall be compensating you with 40% as soon as the transaction is done.

If this proposal is acceptable by you, please do not take undue Advantage of the trust I have on you.

I await your urgent respond

Regards,

Mr. Johnson M. John

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