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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:

Fraud email example:

From: "Mr.George Gordon" <peter.obi57@gmail.com>
Reply-To: georgegordon333@yahoo.co.jp
Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2017 04:06:18 +0100
Subject: UNCLAIMED FUND NOTIFICATION

I am Mr.George Gordon of the Debt Recovery committee(DRC) My committee has
the mandate to recover unpaid debts associated with contracts, lottery
fund,inheritance fund, loans and grants etc ranging from $ 1M- $ 19.5m owed
to various beneficiaries across the globe (Asia, Europe,USA, Africa, and
Australia) and submit the list of the unpaid beneficiaries to the appointed
official paying Banks for immediate payment of the fund.

In the course of our investigation, your email address/particulars were
listed among the first fifteen yet to be paid hence this email.However, we
received a petition yesterday from one Mrs.Christina Morgan that you are
dead. According to her,you died in a plane crash therefore that the fund be
paid to her as the heir apparent.She has submitted her Bank account with
FNB for the transfer of the fund to her.

To avoid undue delay or paying the fund to wrong beneficiary,I have decided
to contact you for confirmation.If I fail to hear from you after 72
hours,it will be assumed the petition of Mrs.Morgan is true and the fund
will be paid to her without further delay.

Therefore,if you are still alive,reconfirm your particulars as stated below
and send immediately,

1. Your name in full:
2. Address where you want the fund delivered to
3. Your Mobile Telephone Number.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr.George Gordon.

Anti-fraud resources: