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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: "WASSALAM ABDULLAHI" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <abdullahiwassa@mail.ee>
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2022 10:11:59 -0800
Subject: URGENT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP

FROM: WASSALAM ABDULLAHI
UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA.
LAGOS BRANCH,
NIGERIA
E-MAIL: abdullahiwassa@mail.ee
 
 
Dear Sir/Madam,
 
First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction, this is by virtue of its nature as being utterly CONFIDENTIAL and TOP SECRET. Though I know that a transaction of this magnitude will make any one apprehensive and worried, but I am assuring you that all will be well at the end of the day. I have decided to contact you by e-mail due to the urgency of this transaction.
 
Let me start by first introdusing myself properly to you. I am Mr. Wassalam Abdullahi, an accountant with UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA, Lagos branch. I came to know of you in my private search for a reliable and reputable person to handle a very confidential transaction which involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account requiring maximum confidence.
 
THE PROPOSITION:
 
A foreigner, late Engineer Allen Gragham, an Oil Merchant / contractor with the federal Govenment of Nigeria, until his death three years ago in a ghastly AUTO crash, banked with us here at UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA, Lagos, and had a closing balance of USD$38.M ( Thirty Eight Million,Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) which the bank now unquestionably expects to be claimed by any of his available foreign next of kin or alternatively be donated to a discredited trust fund for alms and ammunition at a military war college here in Nigeria.
 
Fervent valuable efforts are being made by the UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA to get in touch with any of the Gragham family or relatives but all have proved to no avail.It is because of the perceived possibility of not going to be able to locate any of late Engineer Allen Gragham's next of kin (he had no known wife and children) that the management under the influence of our Chairman, board of directors, Retired Major General Kalu Uke Kalu, that an arrangement for the fund to be declared "UNCLAIMABLE" and then be subsequently donated to the Trust Fund for Alms and Ammunition which will further enhance the courses of war in Africa and the world in general.
 
In order to avert this negative development,I, now seek for your permission to have you stand as late Engineer Allen Gragham's next of kin so that the fund, USD$38.5M would be subsequently transferred and paid into your bank account as the beneficiary next of kin. All documents and proves to enable you get this fund have been carefully worked out and I am assuring you a 100% risk free involvement.
 
For your assistance, your commission would be 40%. while 60% is for me  for investment purposes in your country.
 
If this proposal is OK. by you and you do not wish to take advantage of the trust i hope to bestow on you and your company, then kindly get back to me immediately via my e-mail furnishing me with your most confidential telephone, fax number and exclusive e-mail so that I can forward to you the relevant details of this transaction. Thank you in advance for your anticipated co-operation.
 
Regards,
 
Mr.WASSALAM ABDULLAHI

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