Before the popularity of email, Nigerian 419 scams (aka Advanced Fee Fraud) were originally sent over fax machines and by snail mail. Today, email is the preferred method of these scammers and there are more Nigerian 419 Advanced Fee Fraud scams than ever before.

Generally, the Nigerian 419 scammer claims to be the relative of some high-profile deceased/arrested political figure. The scam claims this relative has horded millions of dollars in cash and are now seeking someone to help transfer the money in exchange for a hefty percentage of the profits.

Sound to good to be true? It is. Those who have contacted the scammers are presented with many forged or official documents in an attempt to convince the victims that the promise of money is legit. Meantime, they claim fees and bribes must be paid and accounts must be setup.

All this money is at the victim's expense and there is no payout at the end, hence the term 'Advanced Fee Fraud'.

But loss of your own funds is just the tip of the iceberg. Some who have responded to Nigerian 419 scams have become victims of kidnapping and murder. So beware and remember, there's no pot of gold at the end of rainbows and an email promising you millions of dollars is a scam. Here's an example of a typical Nigerian 419 email.