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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: "Williams Greant" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <wgreant@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2023 19:10:54 -0700
Subject: we need herbal supplement oil

Dear sir
 
My name is Mr. Williams  Greant and I work for a zoological company here in Ghana, Western Africa. My company is in need of a product (herbal supplement   oil) a raw material which has been found in India recently. While our company ran out of stock of this product which we have been using for the production of animal injections and vaccines and also for research since 2005. Due to some problems which escalated between my company and the purchasing manager who was in charge of purchasing this product for the company from the Indian based dealer has quit from the company and established a separate company of his own. The purchasing manager was the head of my department and my direct boss before he quit. Our company is currently buying this product at the rate of $65,000 USD per lite, and since the resignation of my boss I have been named the interim purchasing manager.
 
As at this moment, I only have the contact address of this Local Vendor in India from the file of my former boss and I found out that this same material is sold by the manufacturer at the rate USD $35,000 per liter to our former company purchasing manager and I do not wish to let anyone in our company know about this because of my interest in the business. I intend to present you as a supplier who will be a middleman between our company boss and the local vendor in India, so that my company will not know the main-source of the material, while I will forward to you the contact of the local dealer in India So that you can negotiate with them and sell to my company at a rate of $65,000.00 per liter.
 
The profit which we will make from it will be shared between the two of us afterwards, If you are interested I will forward the details on what to do and the contact of my director so that you can contact him for negotiation. All profits accrued would be shared between you and me, after deduction of all your expenses, etc.
 
This would be a long term business relationship between you and our company. Upon your response I will send the procedures and all relevant information needed for this business.
Yours truly,
 
Mr. Williams  Greant
Email   wgreant@gmail.com

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