Nigerian scam

crime

Also known as: 419 fraud scheme, 419 scam

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Nigerian scam, also known as "419 fraud," is a type of advance-fee scam that originated in Nigeria and has been given new life through the internet. In this scheme, individuals receive an email or message claiming the sender needs help transferring a large sum of money out of Nigeria or another country. The scammer typically asks the recipient to cover some cost associated with moving the funds, promising a much larger sum in return.12

These scams often involve elaborate stories, such as illegally derived funds needing to be moved due to civil war or bankruptcy, to deter victims from reporting the crime. If the victim sends money, the scammer will invent further complications, demanding more funds. Victims can lose thousands of dollars that are unrecoverable. While advance-fee fraud has existed for centuries, the Nigerian scam became particularly associated with African-based criminal groups in the 1980s.21

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advance fee fraud
It was sometimes called 419 fraud, after the relevant section of the Nigerian criminal code. The 419 fraud scheme was a variation of the confidence swindle, which preys on peoples’ greed and naïveté.
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It was sometimes called 419 fraud, after the relevant section of the Nigerian criminal code. The 419 fraud scheme was a variation of the confidence swindle, which preys on peoples’ greed and naïveté.
Read More

cybercrime
Internet fraud
…the most famous is the Nigerian, or “419,” scam; the number is a reference to the section of Nigerian law that the scam violates. Although this con has been used with both fax and traditional mail, it has been given new life by the Internet. In the scheme, an individual…
Read More
…the most famous is the Nigerian, or “419,” scam; the number is a reference to the section of Nigerian law that the scam violates. Although this con has been used with both fax and traditional mail, it has been given new life by the Internet. In the scheme, an individual…
Read More