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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: "Mariam Sese-Seko" <mrmseko@msn.com>
Reply-To: mrmseseko@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Sat, 05 Nov 2005 03:11:24 +0000
Subject: HELP ME AND MY FAMILY

Dear friend,
Email:mrmseseko@yahoo.co.uk
I am Mrs. Sese-seko widow of late President Mobutu Sese-seko of Zaire, now
known as Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC). I am moved to write you this letter.
This was in confidence considering my present circumstance and situation. I
escaped along with my husband and two of our sons
Kennedy and Basher out of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Abidjan,
Cote d'ivoire where my family and I
settled, while we later moved to settled in Morocco where my husband later
died of cancer disease.

However, due to this situation we decided to change most of my husband's
billions of dollars deposited in
Swiss bank and other countries into other forms of money coded for safe
purpose because the then new head
of state of the late (D.R.C.) Mr Laurent Kabila has made arrangement with
the Swiss government and other
European countries to freeze all my late husband's treasures deposited in
some european countries. Hence,
my children and I decided laying low in Africa to study the situation till
when things gets better. Like
now that president Kabila is dead and the son taking over (Joseph Kabila).
One of my late husband's
chateaux in Southern France was confiscated by the french government, and as
such I had to change my
identity so that my investment will not be traced and confiscated. I have
deposited the sum Thirty Million
United State Dollar(US$30M) with a Trust Company for safe keeping.

What I want you to do is to indicate your interest that you can assist us in
receiving the money on our
behalf, so that I can introduce you to my son (Kennedy) who has the out
modalities for the claim of the said
funds. I want you to assist in investing this money, but I will not want my
identity revealed. I will also want to acquire real/landed properties and
stock in multi-national companies and to engage in other safe and
non-speculative investments as advise by your good self. May I at this point
emphasize the high level of confidentiality, which this our upcoming
project
demands, and hope you will not betray the trust and confidence, which I
repose in you.


In conclusion, if you want to assist us, my son (Kennedy) shall divulge to
you all briefs regarding
this project, tell you where the funds are currently being maintained and
also discuss
remuneration for your services. For this reason kindly furnish us your
contact information, that is your
personal telephone and fax number for confidential purpose and acknowledge
receipt of this mail using the
email address below:mrmseseko@yahoo.co.uk

Yours sincerely,

Mrs.Mariam Sese Seko


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