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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: Gerald Yaya <nneobili@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2022 11:37:49 +0000
Subject: DEAR FRIEND

Please pay attention
With a warm heart, I offer my friendship, and greetings, and I hope
this message meets you in good time. However, strange or surprising
this contact might seem to you as we have not met personally or had
any dealing in the past, I humbly ask that you take due consideration
of its importance and immense benefit. I duly apologize for infringing
on your privacy.

With all due respect, my name is Barrister Gerald Yaya, a solicitor
at law and personal attorney to your deceased uncle, late Engineer
J.B, a national of your country, who died in a car accident in the
year 2013, with his wife and their only daughter. I am contacting you
as the beneficiary/next of kin to his estate funds worth ( US$3.7
Million Dollars ) which he left behind here in my country before his
death.

The said finance company where he deposited the funds has for some
time now issued me a notice to provide the next of kin to my client or
his account shall be declared dormant and possibly confiscated. Since
I have been unsuccessful in locating the relative of my deceased
client. I am now seeking your consent to present you as the deceased
next of kin since you have the same surname name with the deceased, so
that the seed of this account can be paid to you.
Please your urgent attention is needed on this matter to enable me
give you more details and clarification about the transaction and i
will like you to send to me in your next email the below information
if you can work with me in this project

Your Full Name
Your Current Address
Your Mobile Telephone Number
Your Age
Your Occupation

Thanks and waiting to hear from you
Yours Faithfully
Barrister Gerald Yaya

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