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: "MRS.BARBIE MILLS" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <barbiemills79@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:30:18 -0700
Subject: Dear Beloved, Please Use This Fund To Help The Needy

Dear Beloved,


Calvary greeting to you in the most wonderful name of our Lord. As a matter of fact I got your email address from a mail Directory in my late husband private library and decided to mail you for permission for the help of this fund and I sincerely hope you will understand my plight, his richest blessings shall be upon you forever.

I am Mrs. Barbie Mills, I am 61 years old, I am deaf an suffering from a long time esophageal cancer of the lungs which also affected my brain, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I may not live for the next few months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to A very bad stage. I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child.

My husband died in a fatal motor accident. Before his death we were true
Christians. Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited
belongings and deposited all the sum of 8.500,000 (Eight Million Five Hundred
Thousand British Pounds Starlings) with a Security Company.

This money is still with them and the management of the Security Company just
wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money or rather issue
a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not
come forth because of my illness.

Presently am in Rotterdam Erasmus Academisch Ziekenhuis Stratendijkwal 230,
3015 CE 010 463 9221 Hospital where am undergoing my Medicals treatment for
cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have
told me that I have only a few months to live. It is my last wish to see that
this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed among
the charity organization, the poor and the motherless babies home.

I know that I am going to be in the bosom of the Lord. Exodus 14 VS 14 says
that the lord will fight my case and I shall hold my peace. I don't need any
telephone communication in this regard because of my health.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the security
company. I will also issue you a letter of authorization and send to you the
certificate of deposit of the money which you will forward to the Security
company, that will proof you as the new beneficiary of my funds. Please assure
me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

I shall wait at your prayerful reply.

Yours in Sincerely
Mrs. Barbie Mills

Anti-fraud resources: