Nigerian Scam

Nigerian Scam (419 Fraud): Definition, How It Works, and How to Avoid It

What is the Nigerian (419) scam?

The Nigerian scam—also called the Nigerian letter scam, advance-fee fraud, or 419 fraud—is a confidence trick in which a sender promises the victim a large share of money in exchange for help moving or releasing funds held in a foreign account. The scam typically arrives by email but can appear as a letter, fax, or phone call. Scammers pose as government or bank officials, business executives, or relatives, promise a generous commission, and then ask for upfront payments to cover “taxes,” “legal fees,” or bribes. Once they receive money, they disappear or invent additional problems to extract more funds.

How it works

• The scammer contacts a potential victim offering participation in a lucrative transfer (inheritance, frozen account, business proceeds, etc.).
• The victim is promised a large commission for providing a bank account or allowing the use of personal information.
• The scammer asks for advance payments to cover fees, taxes, or other costs supposedly required to complete the transfer.
• After receiving payment, the scammer either cuts off contact or keeps requesting more money using new pretexts.

The name “419” comes from Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, but these schemes are global and have historical parallels in older confidence scams.

Common red flags

• Unsolicited messages promising large sums for little or no effort.
• Requests for bank account numbers, personal financial details, or upfront payments.
• Urgent or secretive language urging quick action.
• Poor grammar, typos, unusual phrasing, or inconsistent details.
• Stories about frozen accounts, political unrest, or legal barriers requiring immediate payment.
• Requests to move money through your personal accounts.

What scammers want

Scammers aim to obtain:
– Direct payments (advance fees) from victims.
– Bank account details for theft or money laundering.
– Personal information for identity theft.
Even a small number of successful responses makes mass-mailing attempts profitable for criminals.

Variants

• Romance scams: The criminal builds an online romantic relationship (catfishing), gains trust, then asks for money or financial help. Nigeria is a leading origin country for romance scams in some analyses.
• Advance-fee scams: A broader category where the victim pays money upfront for a promised larger reward that never materializes. The Nigerian letter scam is a classic example.

Origins and geography

Although associated with Nigeria—especially in the 1990s—advance-fee scams are not confined to any one country. Traced perpetrators have been located worldwide; in one analysis, many identified criminals were based in the United States, with fewer traced to Nigeria.

How to protect yourself

• Do not reply to unsolicited emails or letters that ask for money or personal/banking information.
• Never share bank account numbers, passwords, PINs, or copies of identification with unknown contacts.
• Be highly skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true.
• Watch for poor grammar, rushed timelines, and requests for secrecy.
• Educate vulnerable people (elderly relatives, nontechnical friends) about these scams.
• If someone you know is corresponding with a suspected scammer, urge them to stop and contact authorities.

How to report scams

If you receive or fall victim to this type of fraud, report it to appropriate authorities:
– Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) — contact your local FBI field office or submit an Internet Crime Complaint.
– U.S. Secret Service — report via your local office or mail correspondence to the Criminal Investigative Division if instructed by authorities.
– U.S. Postal Inspection Service — for scam correspondence sent by mail.
– Federal Trade Commission (FTC) — submit complaints via the FTC Complaint Assistant.

Provide as much documentation as possible (copies of messages, names, transaction records). Reporting helps authorities track criminal activity and warn others.

Key takeaways

• The Nigerian/419 scam is an advance-fee fraud where victims are promised large payments in exchange for help with a money transfer and then asked to pay upfront fees.
• It appears in many forms—emails, letters, romance schemes—and can originate from many countries.
• Protect yourself by refusing to share financial details, ignoring unsolicited offers, and reporting suspicious contact to law enforcement.