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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Fraud email example:

From: "Mrs Rosni Yahya" <rosni47@fastermail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: rosniy1@outgun.com
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:30:48 +0200
Subject: Personal Letter.

Hello dear,

You should please consider the transaction on its content and not the fact that you have not
known me before. I need not dwell on how I came by your contact information because there are
many such possibilities these days.I decided to do this after praying over the situation.

I would like to introduce myself as Mrs. Rosni Yahya,From brunie darussalam, widow to
Late Alhaji Ahmed Yahaya who died in a motor accident some years ago but before his death he
handed over to me the deposit certificate of the money he deposited in a security company as
family treasure .

My late husband was an oil Merchant / Contractor with the Government of Benin Rep, who
unfortunately lost his life in moter accident.

I have been recently been daigonosed of Cancer. I am writing from my sick bed.

The amount is US$10.5Million my husband deposited in a secrity company here in cotonou, Benin
of which I am the next of kin. With my health condition and because my husband and I have only
one child, I am looking for a credible person to whom I will pass the right of next of kin.

This person will apply to the security company and request for the transfer of the fund to
his/her bank account. This is on the condition that you will take 25% of the fund for yourself,
5% used for expenses, while you will use the remaining 70% for investment in your country. This is
in fulfilment of the last request of my husband: that a substantial part of the fund will be
invest in a foreign country.

If this condition is acceptable to you, you should contact me immediately with your full names
and contact information so that I will also give you a contact informetion of the security
company.

I cannot predict what will be my fate by the time the fund will be transfered into your account,
but you should please ensure that the fund is used as i have described above.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs.Rosni Yahya.



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