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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: "charles geoma" <charlesgeoma2@superposta.com>
Reply-To: charlesgeoma20@gmail.com
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:18:07 -0500
Subject: I NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE


*DEAR FRIEND,

I HOPE THIS EMAIL IS REACHING YOU IN A GOOD HEALTH? MY NAME IS CHARLES
GEOMA, SON OF LATE CHIEF MARK GEOMA AND I AM FROM SIERRA LEONE.

FOR SOMETIME NOW I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH DIFFICULTIES IN LIFE. IT ALL
STARTED WHEN I LOST MY FATHER.MY FATHER WAS A GREAT OIL MERCHANT IN SIERRA
LEONE, HE WAS INTO IMPORT AND EXPORT OF MAINLY CRUDE OIL. HE WAS POISONED BY
ONE OF HIS BUSINESS COUNTERPARTS AFTER A DISPUTE OVER A BIG CONTRACT FROM
A OIL COMPANY IN MY COUNTRY THAT WAS AWARDED TO MY LATE FATHER .


AFTER THE DEATH OF MY FATHER HIS FAMILY MEMBERS MADE AWAY WITH ALL THAT MY
FATHER HAD, AND SENT ME AND MY MOTHER OUT OF MY FATHERS HOUSE, AND SOLD THE
HOUSE, WE COULD NOT FIND THEM AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE WAR THAT HAPPENED IN MY
COUNTRY.


SOME MONTHS BACK MY MUM SHOWED ME SOME DOCUMENTS WHICH MY FATHER USED IN
DEPOSITING THE SUM OF $6.8 MILLION DOLLAR IN A SAFE KEEPING COMPANY IN GHANA
AND HE USED MY NAME AS THE NEXT OF KIN. I WAS FILLED WITH JOY, AND I
TRAVELED TO GHANA WITH MY MOTHER.

WE GOT TO THE SECURITY COMPANY AND PRESENTED THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS THAT WAS
GIVEN TO MY
LATE FATHER AT THE TIME HE DEPOSITED THE CONSIGNMENT WITH THE SECURITY
COMPANY .THEY ACCEPTED THAT THE CONSIGNMENT IS THERE, BUT THEY CAN NOT
RELEASE IT TO US, BECAUSE MY FATHER STATED AT THE TIME OF DEPOSIT THAT THE
FUND WILL LEAVE AFRICA ON TRANSIT TO HIS FOREIGN PARTNER OVERSEAS FOR
BUSINESS PURPOSE. I DID NOT KNOW THAT MY FATHER WAS PLANING OF OPENING A
COMPANY ABROAD.

WE WERE ADVISED BY THE SECURITY COMPANY TO GET A FOREIGN PARTNER WHO IS
RELIABLE TO HELP US RECEIVE THE CONSIGNMENT FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY.


THE SECURITY COMPANY NOW DECIDED THAT I MUST GET FOREIGN BENEFICIARY BEFORE
THE
CONSIGNMENT CAN BE RELEASED. THIS IS WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU TO STAND AS MY
FOREIGN
PARTNER AND HELP ME CLAIM MY CONSIGNMENT FROM THE SECURITY COMPANY.


MY SELF AND MY MUM HAVE AGREED TO GIVE YOU 25% OF THE TOTAL FOUND. THEN I
AND MY MUM CAN COME OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY AND START A BETTER LIFE.

AFTER I HEAR FROM YOU I WILL GIVE YOU THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS COVERING THE
CONSIGNMENT THAT WILL HELP YOU IN CLAIMING THE CONSIGNMENT FROM THE SECURITY
COMPANY.

PLEASE I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT I WANT TO TRUST YOU, AND I FEEL YOU
CAN HELP ME AND MY MUM, THAT IS WHY I AM TELLING YOU THIS TOP SECRET. AS I
AM WRITING YOU THIS MAIL MY EYES ARE FILLED WITH TEARS, BECAUSE MY MUM IS
VERY SICK AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY HERE IN GHANA

WE ARE LIVING WITH AN OLD LADY NAMED MRS CAROLINE KWESI WHO WORKS AS A
GARDNER IN A
COMPANY.

I AWAIT YOUR URGENT REPLY.

GOD BLESS YOU,
SINCERELY,
CHARLES GEOMA.
*

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