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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: "American Express" (may be fake)
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 08:20:50 -0700
Subject: Reminder: Important New Information Update.



Hello Users,

American Express is hereby announcing the new Security routine maintenance to serve our
customers for a better and secure online service against any fraudulent attempt,

Due to this recent security upgrade, you are requested to Login and validate your account
immediately for safety purpose.

Click here to Log In

Note: At American Express, your protection is our top priority and We're committed
to keeping your American Express accounts safe from unauthorized access.


Thanks,
© 2014 American Express Company. All rights reserved.

Anti-fraud resources: