419 Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam (2006-01)

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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "from the desk of" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "million united states dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "million dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "cotonou" (a location commonly mentioned in 419 scams)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
- +22998607320 (Benin, probably a prepaid mobile phone)

Fraud email example:

From: SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE BENIN <jimnorwood01@gmail.com>
Reply-To: SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE BENIN <mardocheemukouro1@seznam.cz>
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2017 01:28:11 +0900 (JST)
Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?From_the_Desk_of=3B_Hon=2E_Justice_Mardoch=E9e_Vignon_Muko?=
=?iso-8859-1?Q?uro=2C_GCOB_Chief_Justice_of_Benin=2E?=

SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE BENIN
The Supreme Court Secretariat
C/ 45 - 47 Rue De Ganhi , Cotonou, Benin Republic
01 BP. 3045 Ministry Zone
Phone Number : +229 98 60 7320 or +229 98 290 123

Date: 24, March 2017.

From the Desk of;
Hon. Justice Mardochée Vignon Mukouro, GCOB Chief Justice of Benin.

This is Hon. Justice Mardochée Vignon Mukouro, GCOB Chief Justice of Benin- Supreme Court Office of Benin. This is to notify you that some BENIN government officials visited my office this morning with an envelope contained copies of document and the documents are your compensation payment file. They stated that you disclaim your compensation fund worth US$1.5 Million Dollars, and their purpose of visiting my office is to seek support and have my signature on the documents for easy confiscation of your compensation fund to the government budget account since you don't want to receive it. but with the experience in the judiciary i refused to sign the documents. Because i want to confirm from you before any action will be taken over the petition written against you. I ask them to leave the documents with me to get more information from you first, if truly that you disclaimed your compensation fund before i will sign for the confiscation as they demanded.
The gentle men will be returning back in a week time to have my final answer to their demand.

NOTE; The US$1.5 Million United States Dollars is a compensation fund from the government to you since 22 December 2014 and UBA Bank Plc confirmed that you abandoned the fund without showing up any sign of seriousness as the beneficiary. Listen; I am Hon. Justice Mardochée Vignon Mukouro, GCOB Chief Justice of Benin, i want you to feel free and explain to me why you ask the government to confiscate your compensation fund.

I await your kind and honest explanation concerning the above subject. Whatever you said is what i must do and no judgement comes after it. Therefore; you have the chance to say your mind over this matter because whatever information and instruction given from you is what i will sign on.

Thanks and God bless.
Send me your contact phone number if you still want to receive your fund.

Best Regards,
From the Desk of;
Hon. Justice Mardochée Vignon Mukouro, GCOB Chief Justice of Benin.

SUPREME COURT OF JUSTICE BENIN
The Supreme Court Secretariat
C/ 45 - 47 Rue De Ganhi , Cotonou, Benin Republic
01 BP. 3045 Ministry Zone
Phone Number : +229 98 60 7320 or +229 98 290 123

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam