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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: <chevy1967@cyg.net>
Date: 21 Nov 2024 11:23:29 -0400
Subject: >> Your account is hacked. Your data is stolen. Learn how to regain access.

>> Hi,
>>
>> I am a hacker, and I have successfully gained access to your operating system.
>> I also have full access to your account.
>>
>> I've been watching you for a few months now.
>>
>> The fact is that your computer has been infected with malware through an adult site that you visited.
>> If you are not familiar with this, I will explain.
>> Trojan Virus gives me full access and control over a computer or other device.
>> This means that I can see everything on your screen, turn on the camera and microphone, but you do not know about it.
>> I also have access to all your contacts and all your correspondence.
>>
>> Why did your antivirus not detect malware?
>> Answer: The malware I used is driver-based, I update its signatures every 4 hours. Hence your antivirus is unable to detect its presence.
>> I made a video showing how you satisfy yourself in the left half of the screen, and the right half shows the video you were watching at the time.
>>
>> With one mouse click, I can send this video to all your emails and contacts on your social networks.
>> I can also make public all your e-mail correspondence and chat history on the messengers that you use.
>>
>> If you don't want this to happen, transfer $1190 in Bitcoin equivalent to my Bitcoin address (if you do not know how to do this, just search "buy bitcoin" on Google).
>>
>> My Bitcoin address (BTC Wallet) is: bc1qs69a2mgwu2x9jdjqncrlnfm8kws77qa3hg609u
>>
>> After confirming your payment, I will delete the video immediately, and that's it. You will never hear from me again.
>> I will give you 50 hours (more than 2 days) to pay. I will get a notice, when you open this email, and the timer will start.
>> Filing a complaint somewhere does not make sense because this email cannot be tracked like my Bitcoin address.
>>
>> I never make any mistakes.
>> If I find that you have shared this message with someone else, the video will be immediately distributed.
>>
>> Best regards!

Anti-fraud resources: