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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: Williams Associates <gsm444@outlook.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2017 13:46:59 +0000
Subject: Waiting for your response


WILLIAMS & ASSOCIATES
Attorneys, Notaries & Conveyancers
493 Kwame Nkrumah Way, Accra Ghana, West Africa
Telephone: + 233-781-44442, Tel/Fax: + 233-781-44442

Dear Friend

I am Desmond Williams. I was the personal attorney to late Mr. Frank a national of your country who was an Oil Magnet, Realtors and also an avid community volunteer and a world traveler. Here in after shall be referred to as my client. On the 30th September, 2010, my client, his wife and two kids died in a plane crash.

Since then I have made several enquirers to embassy around to locate any of his extended relatives this has also proved unsuccessful. And I have sent letter to the address of my client but never received a response. After these several unsuccessful attempts. I decided to track his last name over the Internet to locate any member of his family hence I contacted you

I contacted you to assist in repatriating the money left behind by my client before they get confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where these huge deposits were lodged. Particularly, the bank where the deceased had an account valued at about US$17.8M (Seventeen Million Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) whom have severally issued me a notice to provide the Next of Kin or have the account confiscated.

Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 6 years now I seek your consent to present you as the Next of Kin of the deceased since you share the same surname and he is a national of your country, so that the proceeds of this account valued at (US$17.8M) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money. I wish to point out that after the claims, I would want 20% of this money to be shared among charity organizations, while the remaining 80% is shared equally between us. All I require is your honest co-operation to enable us in seeing this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Contact me through email or telephone number above, if you are willing to partner with me. Thanking you in anticipation for your urgent response.

Regards
Desmond Williams

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