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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 PHILLIP DONALD" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrphillipdonald02@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2017 15:49:48 -0700
Subject: URGENT AND YOUR RESPONSE IS NEEDED

MR PHILLIP DONALD
Finance Director
HSBC Holdings plc
8 Canada Square
London E14 5HQ - UK
PHONE:+44-397-761-5513

LETTER OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

I AM GRATEFUL TO REACH YOU AT LAST AFTER MAKING SO MUCH EFFORT TO INFORM YOU OF YOUR INHERITANCE WITH OUR BANK.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WILL LIKE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AS MR PHILLIP DONALD.

I AM A BANKER AND AN ACCOUNTANT WITH HSBC BANK HOLDINGS PLC U.K.I WAS THE THE ACCOUNT OFFICER TO LATE ENGINEER
(SCOTT), A NATIONAL OF YOUR COUNTRY, WHO WAS A CONTRACTOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES VICTORIA
ISLAND,LAGOS.WE LOST THIS CUSTOMER IN A PLANE CRASH ON FRIDAY, THE 26TH OF DECEMBER 2003 WHILE COMING FROM BENIN
REPUBLIC TO DESTINATION IN LAGOS WHICH 22 PEOPLE HAD SURVIVED AND 118 PEOPLE DIED IN THE PLANE CRASH INCLUDING OUR
RESPECTFUL CUSTOMER.

BELOW IS THE LINK OF THE PLANE CRASH:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3348109.stm


SINCE THEN, I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPT TO LOCATE OTHER MEMBERS OF MY CLIENTS FAMILY TO NO AVAIL. I ALSO TRIED THE
EMBASSY WITHOUT SUCCESS.AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, I DECIDED TO TRACE THE LAST NAME OVER THE INTERNET,
THIS IS WHY I CONTACTED YOU. MY REASON FOR CONTACTING YOU IS TO HELP IN REPATRIATING THE MONEY AND PROPERTIES LEFT
BEHIND BY MY LATE CLIENT BEFORE IT IS CONFISCATED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR THE BANK WHERE THIS HUGE MONEY IS LODGED,
PARTICULARLY HSBC BANK HOLDINGS PLC U.K WHERE THE DECEASED HAD AN ACCOUNT VALUED AT US$US$8.5 MILLION (EIGHT MILLION,
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND US DOLLARS).

THE BANK HAS ISSUED ME A NOTICE TO PROVIDE THE NEXT OF KIN OR HAVE THE ACCOUNT ANNULLED WITHIN THE NEXT FIFTEEN
WORKING DAYS.SINCE I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAMILY MEMBERS FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS RUNNING, I SEEK TO
PRESENT YOU AS THE NEXT OF KIN TO MY LATE CLIENT SINCE YOU HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME SO THAT THE PROCEED FROM THIS
ACCOUNT VALUED AT US$8.5M CAN BE PAID TO YOU. THEN AFTER WE CAN SPLIT THE MONEY 50% EACH AFTER IRS HAS BEEN DEDUCTED.
THE TRANSFER EXPENSES WILL BE SHARED EQUALLY TOO.

ALL I REQUIRE OF YOU NOW IS YOUR HONEST COOPERATION TO ENABLE US SEE THIS DEAL THROUGH. I GUARANTEE THAT THIS
TRANSACTION WILL BE EXECUTED UNDER A LEGITIMATE ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL PROTECT YOU AND I FROM ANY BREACH OF THE LAW.

ALSO SEND TO ME YOUR MOST PRIVATE TELEPHONE NUMBER TO ENABLE ME CALL YOU FOR MORE INFORMATION IF THE NEED ARISES.


SINCERELY YOURS,
Mr.PHILLIP DONALD.

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