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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: "madiba edeki" <madiba_edeki@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: madiba_edeki@katamail.com
Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2005 23:02:58 -0400
Subject: HELLO

DR. MADIBA EDEKI ,
DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY,
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA.

Dear Friend,

It is my great pleasure in writing you this letter on behalf of my
colleagues to seek your assistance to enable us to own properties and invest
in the stable economy of your country. I apologize if this mail does not
suit your personal or business ethics.I have decided to seek a confidential
co-operation with you in the execution of the deal in strict confidence. As
senior civil servants in the South Africa Government, the South African
civil service laws (Code of Conduct bureau) forbid us to own a foreign
account. Within the Department of Minerals an Energy where I work as a
Director of Audit and Project Implementation and with the co-operation of
two other top officials, we have in our possession as overdue payment in US
funds. The said funds represent certain percentage of the total contract
value executed on behalf of my Department by a foreign contracting firm
which we the officials over-invoiced to the amount of
US$14.500,000.00(Fourteen Million Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars).Though
the actual contract cost has been paid to the original contractor, leaving
the excess balance unclaimed.

Since the present elected Government is determined to pay foreign
contractors all debts owed so as to maintain good relationship with foreign
government and non-government agencies, we include our bills for approvals
with the Department of Finance and the Reserve Bank of South Africa
(RBSA).We are seeking your assistance to front as beneficiary of the
unclaimed funds, since we are not allowed to operate foreign accounts.
Details and change of beneficiary information upon application for claim to
reflect payment and approvals will be secured on behalf of you/your company.

The business itself is 100% safe and secure, provided you treat it with
utmost confidentiality. It does not matter whether you/your company does
contract projects as a transfer of powers will be secured in favour of
you/your company. Also your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the
successful execution of this transaction. If you will like to assist us as a
partner, then indicate your interest. All other information to facilitate
the remittance of the funds will be revealed to you in due course. For your
assistance, your share as compensation will be US$3.625m (25%),while my
colleagues and I receive US$9.425m(65%) and the balance of US$1.450m(10%)
will be used to settle taxation and other miscellaneous expenses in the
course of transferring the funds to your account.

Please indicate your direct telephone and direct fax number when replying
this business proposal so I could call you when necessary. If you are not
interested, kindly also indicate so that it will enable me to contact other
foreign partner with recommendations to carry out this deal.

for further details upon your acceptance of this proposal.
Thanks for your co-operation.
Regards,
DR. MADIBA EDEKI


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