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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: "Fat. L.K. Erickson" <fatiklaw@gmail.com>
Reply-To: "Fat. L.K. Erickson" <ms.fatimalawrenckamara@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2016 06:48:39 +0900 (JST)
Subject: I wait for your reply


Hello,

It is a pleasure to introduce this business proposal to you, with due respect and heart full of gratitude , i know that it may be surprise to you, hence we don't know each other for the first time but i do believe that this will bring us together to know ourselves much better and do joint business together.

I want you to know that my name is Fatima and i am living presently in a refugee camp here in Ivory Coast and i am from Sierra Leone, i am 18 years old, i am ready to start a good and profitable business ventures with you in which you are the only one who will advise and execute the business ventures over there in your country for the benefit of both of us.

Meanwhile, i want you to know that i need a reliable,honest,trust-worthy business partner, who will not betray me but handle the
business ventures in honest and sincere manner.

my late father when he was alive deposited ($5.5m) five million five hundred thousand united state's dollar in a bank which he used my name as the next of kin and i have his statement of account certificate here with me. Please i will like you to help me transfer this money to your account in your country and from it you can send some money for me to get my traveling documents and air ticket to come over to meet with you in your country because i have nothing at hand with me here to make any movement or do any thing.

I'm afraid of the enmity my father created back in my country when he was alive, that was also why i ran out to this place. I kept this secret other peoples here because i don't want them to know who i am or what i have. The only person that knows about it is the Reverend because he is like a father to me.

please because of this, i will like you to keep it to yourself
and don't tell it to anyone for i am afraid of loosing my life and the money if people gets to know about it. Remember i am telling you all this due to the trust i have in you, though we have not met in person. I like honest, understanding and God fearing people.

I wait for your reply
Thanks and remain blessed as you reply
Yours Fatima

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