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: Cecil Edwards <ceciledwards@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 15:44:00 -0800 (PST)
Subject: From Western Union Money Transfer.





Attention Beneficiary:
 

Your fund of one million five hundred thousand United States Dollars.($1.500,000.00USD) has been forwarded to Western Union for immediate transfer to you. Your payment will be send to you by western Union and the amount you will be receiving per day is $5,000.00 ( Five thousand Dollars ).The Ministers Trust Fund of Benin Republic will send you the currently standard track details you need to pick up your ($5,000) payment by western union, you will receive every day till you receive the $1.500,000.00 United State Dollars, now no need to send you the ATM  card because you can not be able to withdraw from the ATM card due to that ATM master card contain large money on it and is not activated. In other words, many people have received their funds through this western union which is safer and reliable with less cost.
 
The director administrative trust fund has already signed your payment, now you are free to comply with payment office on this email:( westernunionmon8@sify.com) however, kindly contact the below person who is in position to release your payment by Western Union as per $5,000 a day in the person of Rev Dr. John Ntepe, Western Union Department Benin, Mobile:+229 97292685 E-mail:( westernunionmon8@sify.com ) The Western Union Payment Center has been mandated to issue out your payment and you have to stop any further communication with any other individual(s) or office(s) to avoid any hitches in receiving your payment.Note that the administrator payment need this details from you to process your payment.
 
 Full name_________________________
 Contact Address__________________________
 Country___________________________
 Age______________________________
 Occupation________________________
 Phone number______________________

Comply immediately in other to make your particulars available to Rev John Ntepe, he will start sending your payment by Western Union. Best wishes from Western Union Money Transfer awaiting to here from you.

Yours Faithfully,
 Dr. (Mrs) Janice Maxwell (PhD)
 For Western Union Money Transfer.

Anti-fraud resources: