joewein.net   joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet
Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days
  jwSpamSpy

Home
About Us
Spam
419/Nigeria
Fraud
Contact

"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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "Princess Derby Abonime" <princessderbyabonime@msn.com>
Reply-To: princessderby2005@muchomail.com
Date: Thu, 02 Feb 2006 19:54:32 +0000
Subject: Urgent Assistance.

The Palace of King of Ogoni Kingdom,
Ogoni Oil producing community,
Rivers State, Nigeria.
 
Dear Friend,
 
I am Princess Derby Abonime, the daughter of HRH King Solomon Abonime, the king of Ogoni Kingdom. I am 25 years old and a graduate of Mass Communication.
 
I know that with mere mention of Nigeria, most people will think that this is another scam but that is not true as we are merely looking for someone that can help us out of our present predicament.
 
My father was the king of Ogoni Kingdom the highest oil producing area in Nigeria. He was in charge of reviving royalties from the multi-national oil companies and government on behalf of the oil producing communities in Nigeria.
 
After the death by hanging of the Ogoni Nine(9) including Ken Saro Wiwa by the late dictator General Sani Abacha, my father suffered stroke and died in August 27th 2004 last year. But before his death, he called me and told me he has some money running into a few millions of dollars which he personally deposited in a Security firm in Europe.
 
He advised me not to tell anybody except my mother who is the last wife of the (8) eight wives that he married.
 
My mother did not bear any male child for him Which implies according to our culture and tradition that we the female children have no share in all my father’s properties, companies etc.
 
It is this known fact that made my father to advice that we contact his lawyer for the relevant documents of the said money which he has also briefed him and told me that I should use this money with my mother and my younger sisters because he knows that traditionally, if he dies we cannnot get anything as inheritance.
 
He further advised that I should seek for foreign assistance and that I should not invest this money here in Nigeria because of his other wives and male children who happen to be my elders.
 
I am soliciting for your immediate assistance to get a Bungalow for us, where I will live with my mother and two younger sisters and further advise me where and how I will invest the balance money overseas, possibly in UK in a profitable venture.
 
I believe that by the special grace of God, you will help us move this money out of the security firm to any country of your choice where we can invest this money judiciously with you.
 
You are going to be entitled to a reasonable part of this money based on our agreement and God will bless you as you help us.
 
Looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Regards.
 
Princess Derby Abonime.

Anti-fraud resources: