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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: =?UTF-8?B?Ik1ycy4gRXZlbHluIE1hcnNoYWxsIg==?= <austinbrendan1@terra.com.ar>
Date:
Subject:

 
Greeting: From Mrs. Evelyn Marshall. I am 45 years old from Bo= livia. I am a missionary woman working with the United Nations Services und= er charity organization, my husband was an Engineer with an oil company in = Ivory Coast, In fact it is too sad to let you know that I lost my dear husb= and during the political election crisis in Ivory Coast, After the death of= my late husband, I retail from my job to stay with my only son, two years = late I fall sick which have cost me a lot of problem as a result of Breast = Cancer, I have been hospitalize for over some months, after many test my Do= ctors have to courageously advise me that with the new test and condition o= f various in the Breast Cancer, that I may not live long. Since I am not su= re of my living, I have decided to contact you seeking for your assistance = to guild my only son with the inheritance left in a Security Company as a f= amily valuable by my late husband.

Why I contact you is that, My son= is only but 14 years old and too young to handle this inherited CASH of 13= .7 million Dollars, which is deposited with a Security Company as family va= luable, I want the security company to move this funds into your custody as= my next of KIN to enable you help my son future with the fund, and buy him= a house and invest the balance into a good business in your country,  = ;if accepted to take good care of my son in your country with good educatio= n, please get back to me for more information, I am writing you from my sic= k bed, I must let you know that this was a very hard decision for me, but I= have to do this as a sacrifice and take a bold step towards this issue bec= ause I have no further option, I will be very happy to read from your inter= ested response to enable me put you in contact with the security company as= my only relative family Next OF KIN for the release.

I wait to hear= from you and remain blessed. 
Yours Sincerely. 
Mrs. Evely= n Marshall.

Anti-fraud resources: