A Nigerian scam, also known as advance fee fraud or 419 fraud, is a scheme in which a sender requests help in facilitating the transfer of a sum of money, generally in the form of an email. The scammers then request that money be sent to pay for some of the costs associated with the transfer.

Whats the meaning of 419?

An advance-fee scam is a form of fraud and one of the most common types of confidence tricks. The number 419 refers to the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, the charges and penalties for offenders.