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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

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

Fraud email example:

From: "Kathy Smith" <kathy_smith147@yahoo.co.uk> (may be fake)
Reply-To: kathysmith@indiatimes.com
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 06:23:08 +0000
Subject: REPRESENTATIVE NEEDED!

Hello Dear,

Good day to you, my name is Kathy Smith, I am an artist with my husband
Johnson Smith, and we are the owners of Century Art World .I'm from London
UK,with my
two kids, four cats, one dog and the love of my life my husband Johnson
Smith. It is definitely a full house.

I have been doing artwork since I was a small child. That gives me about 23
years of experience. I majored in art in high school and took a few college
art
courses. Most of my work are done in either pencil or airbrush mixed with
color pencils. I have recently added designing and creating artwork on the
computer.
I have been selling my art for the last 3 years and have had my work
featured on trading cards, prints and in magazines. I have MARKETS for my
art works &
galleries to private companies in UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA (USA) and beyond.

I'm always facing serious difficulties when it comes to PAYMENTS, This is
because all my customers in AMERICA are always offering to pay me with U.S
POSTAL
MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHECKS, And it is very difficult for me to cash U.S
POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHECKS HERE in LONDON, This is Because The
British Government does not permit the usage of U.S
POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHIER'S CHECKS IN HERE IN LONDON.

Right now, I'm looking for a representative in the AMERICA who can be
helping me to cash the U.S POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHECKS IN THE
U.S.A and wire the cash to me here in London,

I have a lot of customers in AMERICA and they all want to pay me with U.S
POSTAL MONEY ORDERS OR CASHIER'S CHECKS, so I write you to seek for your
help in partnership, I want you to be my partner in AMERICA so that all my
customers can be issuing the MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHECKS to your name
and you will CASH THE MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHECKS and send CASH to me
here in LONDON.

If you accept this offer, you shall be receiving 10% commission as your
interest for each transaction, I will instruct all my customers to raise
MONEY ORDERS OR CASHERS CHECKS on your name and send it to your address,
Then when you receive the MONEY ORDERS OR CASHER'S CHECKS and cash them, you
will deduct 10% from the total money as your commission, and send the
balance to me here in LONDON,

This project is 100% risk free and it is legal from the American Government,
if you are interested, kindly send me the
below information:

1. Your Complete Full Names.

2. Your Residential Address.

3. Your Telephone Number or Your Mobile Phone Number
For Easy communication.



Regards,

Kathy Smith.




Anti-fraud resources: