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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. Jerry Costa" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mrjerrycosta@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 30 May 2021 20:34:07 -0700
Subject: Re: Respond With full Details


Dear Ma/Sir,
I am Mr. Jerry Costa. an Auditor General of bank, during the course of
our auditing, I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the
bank in 2001 and since 2003 nobody has operated on this account again.

After going through some old files in the records I discovered that
the owner of the account died without a [heir] hence the money is
floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be
forfeited for nothing. The owner of this account is a foreigner, a
miner and an industrialist. He made($5,500,000.00USD) dollars deposit
before he died victoriously .

Since DEC 26 2003 website details as follow:
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html
and no other person knows about this account or any thing concerning
it. My investigation proved to me that the account has no other
beneficiary and that until his death he was the manager director of
aluminum's & steel industries (PTY). SA.

We will start the transfer with the total sum involved (FIVE
MILLION,FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) $5,500,000.00
USD) into your account, as a safe foreigners bank account abroad, but
I don't know any foreigner abroad that's why I have contacted you to
bear the legal sole beneficiary of the fund.

With my influence and the position in the bank, as an official whom is
working in your favor we can transfer this money to any foreigner's
reliable account which you can provide with assurance that this money
will be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for
sharing.

At the conclusion of this business, you will be given 45% of the total
amount, 50% will be for me. Also send your private telephone number
and fax number including the full details of the account to be used
for the deposit. I need your strong assurance that you will never let
me down in this business proposition.

I am waiting for your reply.

Regards
Mr. Jerry Costa,

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