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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: Deborah Canara <dbykouassi@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2021 12:30:53 +0100
Subject: I pray you receive this email in good health...

--
Dear sir,

Please permit me to introduce myself first of all. My name is Deborah
Kouassi; I am 17 years old from Ivory Coast. I am the only daughter of
Yale Kouassi a Cocoa farmer and major Cocoa fruit exporter from Ivory
Coast. My Dad was murdered in 2010 during political crises in my
country. My Mom passed on tragically during giving birth to my
supposed younger brother whom the both died so since then my dad took
me very special.
I have contacted you to seek your help in representing me as my
guardian in order for my late deposit fund of $8,500,000.00 deposit to
be released to you on behalf as my guardian. This is what I was
requested to do by the bank when after I applied for release of the
deposit to me as the next of kin. This is because my dad reached an
agreement with the bank not to release the fund to me until I attain
the age of 21 alternatively, I could provide a guardian of foreign
origin to assist me in disbursement of the deposit to international
investment.
Please can you help, would you? If yes, reply and send me your address
and telephone number so I can inform the bank to go ahead and release
the deposit to you on my behalf as my guardian.

I look forward to your soonest reply.

Regards,

Deborah Kouassi

Anti-fraud resources: