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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: James Opara <jjamesopara40@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 03:31:03 -0700
Subject: Greetings,

Dear,

Greetings,

I got your profile and decided to write you for an important and
confidential business proposal. My name is Mr.James Opara from Togo.
It’s Just my urgent need for a foreign partner that led to my
contacting you about this transaction. I am a banker by profession and
currently holding the post of Chief Auditor in our Bank. I have the
opportunity of transferring an unclaimed funds ($16.5M) Sixteen
Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars belonging to one of my late
clients who died in a plane crash.Having no one coming up to claim his
funds and if left unclaimed will be transferred to the government
treasury by the bank.

Hence, I am inviting you for a business deal where we can facilitate
the transfer of this fund and have promised 50% as your percentage
once we are through, if you agree to my business proposal. Further
details of the transfer will be forwarded to you as soon as I receive
your mail response with your phone number, address, date of birth
Occupation/position and your marital status for further details
explanations.

Yours Faithfully
Mr.James Opara

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