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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: Martins Azuelu <pat@ad.com>
Reply-To: <honmartinstazuelu@outlook.fr>
Date: Fri, 15 May 2015 19:17:31 +0100
Subject: From: Hon. Martins Toto Azuelu.

From: Hon. Martins Toto Azuelu.

The below message will be treated as confidential message and only for your view please.

Good Day,

I am Hon. Martins Toto Azuelu, Director Foreign Contract Payment Unit, Union Togolaise Bank (UTB).lome-Togo,West Africa. My office monitors and controls all foreign contracts payments. I am the final signatory to any transfer or remittance of foreign contracts settlements, I have before me list of funds, which could not be transferred to some nominated accounts as these accounts have been identified either as ghost accounts, unclaimed deposits and over-invoiced sum etc. I write to present you to this UTB Bank that you are among the people expecting their funds to be transferred into their account, on this note; I wish to have a deal with you as regards to the unpaid certified contract funds with value US$25.5 Million. I have every files before me and the data will be change to your name to enable you receive the fund into your nominated bank account as the beneficiary.

I have the opportunity to write you based on the instructions I received few days ago from the Ministry of Finance Committee on Contract Payments/ Foreign Debts to submit the List of payment reports / expenditures and audited reports of revenues. Among several others, I have decided to remit this sum following my idea that we have a deal/agreement and I am going to do this legally.

MY CONDITIONS.
1. You will give me 50% of the total contract funds as soon as you confirm it in your designated bank account.
2. This deal must be kept secret forever and all correspondence will be strictly by email / telephone for security reasons.
3. There should be no third parties as most problems associated with fund release are caused by agents or representatives.

If you AGREE with my conditions, l will advise you on what to do immediately and the transfer will commence without delay as I will proceed to fix your name on the Payment schedule instantly to meet their mandate.

AWaiting for your reply soon.

Yours Sincerely.
Hon. Martins Toto Azuelu,

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