Nigerian scam
Fake inheritance letter
A Nigerian scam is a type of advance-fee fraud in which the victim receives an unsolicited message—originally letters, now typically emails—promising a large sum of money in exchange for help transferring funds out of a foreign country.
The scammer requests upfront payments for fees, bribes, or taxes, then disappears with the money.
Named for Nigeria because many early versions claimed to involve Nigerian government officials or businesses, though the scheme originates worldwide.
Also called a 419 scam, after the section of the Nigerian criminal code addressing fraud.
Professional fraud perpetrator
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- confidence trickFraud exploiting victim's trust
- phishingFraudulent credential harvesting
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
dupery · bunco · flimflam · charlatan · fraudster · impostor · grifter · hustle
Fraudulent credential harvesting
- spoofingFraudulent imitation
- urgentNeeding immediate attention
- confidentialityQuality of protecting secrets
- beneficiaryDesignated asset receiver
inheritance · windfall · barrister · millionaire · banker · transaction · wire transfer · foreigner
Cause false belief
- gullibleEasily deceived
- shamFraudulent imitation
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
fabrication · falsehood · pretense · masquerade · manipulation · bamboozle · dupe · mark
One harmed by another
- targetObject of pursuit
- markVisible impression or sign
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- elderlyAdvanced in age
lonely · desperate · financial loss · emotional trauma · shame · embarrassment · reporting · recovery
con artist
Professional fraud perpetrator
- swindleDeception for financial gain
- confidence trickFraud exploiting victim's trust
- phishingFraudulent credential harvesting
hoax · dupery · bunco · flimflam · charlatan · fraudster · impostor · grifter · hustle · rip-off
phishing
Fraudulent credential harvesting
- spoofingFraudulent imitation
- urgentNeeding immediate attention
- confidentialityQuality of protecting secrets
beneficiary · inheritance · windfall · barrister · millionaire · banker · transaction · wire transfer · foreigner · proposal
mislead
Cause false belief
deceit · fabrication · falsehood · pretense · masquerade · manipulation · bamboozle · dupe · mark · sucker
victim
One harmed by another
- targetObject of pursuit
- markVisible impression or sign
- vulnerableOpen to attack
elderly · lonely · desperate · financial loss · emotional trauma · shame · embarrassment · reporting · recovery · awareness
- fraudfraud, swindle, con, deceive, cheat
- cyberscamsphishing, email spoofing, spear phishing, smishing, vishing
- cybercrimehacking, phishing, malware, ransomware, data breach
- financial fraudsecurities fraud, bank fraud, accounting fraud, defalcation, embezzler
- mail crimesmail fraud, postal fraud, mail theft, mail tampering, postal theft
Nigerian scamfair dealing
Honest, equitable conduct principle
fiduciary duty · charitable giving · honest work · earned income
Nigeria, Nigerian, scam, scams, scammed, scamming, scammer, scammers