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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.

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

Fraud email example:

From: "david shabangu" (may be fake)
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2010 22:59:24 +0200
Subject: PLEASE CAN I TRUST YOU !!?


Before I proceed, I must first apologize for this unsolicited letter to you. I am aware that this is certainly not a conventional way of approach to establish a relationship of trust, but I do have limited choice hence I’m contacting you through this medium.
I am Dr. David shabangu;a Director in the Department Of Minerals and Energy Affairs Republic of South Africa.
I write to seek your co-operation in an urgent Fund transfer deal of $5.9MILLION. (Five Million Nine Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars). This money originated through an (OVER INVOICED) of Multi Billion Dollars Contract Awarded Sum to foreign firms here in South Africa for the buildings of Fifa World-Class Football Stadiums, Hotels and Re-Constructions of roads towards the preparation of the 2010 Fifa Football World Cup that will be organized in South Africa this year starting from 11th of June to 11th of July.
We need you as a foreigner (partner) to co-operate with us in removing and securing this money out of South Africa by providing an oversea account where this over-invoiced-$5.9MILLION, will be paid into, and as it’s in my power, I will use my official position and connections in my Department to appoint and recognize you as the true foreign beneficiary of the Money who owns one of the foreign firms that executed the original contract here. This will enable us to use your name to remove the money out of South Africa and transfer it into your oversea bank account. The reason why we need your co-operation in order to use your name to secure this money out of South Africa is because we cannot use our identity/names to transfer the money out of here due to our political/ and government official civil service reputation.
Once the fund is released to you as the true foreign beneficiary and transferred into your oversea bank account, I am proposing 25% of the total sum to you for your involvement.10% would be set aside for any expenses that might be incurred during the transaction. I would retain 65% for myself and my colleague who are also part of this deal.
Note that this process is not risky in any manner and it is completely legal but might not be justified morally. However If this proposal does offend your moral values please pardon me if not reply me via my private email:address- davidshabangu_02_2001@yahoo.com Please be kind also to get back to me even if you are not interested so that I can proceed towards another contact immediately having said that I have limited choice.

I urgently await your response.

Regards,
Dr. David shabangu
Direct email: davidshabangu_02_2001@yahoo.com


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