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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: "From The Desk of His Excellency H.E John Mahama Vice President of Ghana" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <mh.ejohn@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:14:09 +0100
Subject: You Meeting Me In Ghana Will Save My Explanations!

>From The Desk of His Excellency H.E John Mahama Vice President of Ghana
Magnum Trust Security Company Sarl (Regional Director)
Accra Ghana.

Attention:

I am H.E John Mahama vice president of the Republic of Ghana, former Regional Director with Magnum Trust Security Company Accra Ghana.
We had a foreign client (Mohamed Mohd Salaheldin) who deposited a huge sum of amount, US$32.5million United States Dollars with our Company. Unfortunately, this client was among the victims of EGYPTAIR FLIGHT NO.990 that crashed on the 31-10-1999 in U.S.A; however, they were given a ceremonial mass burial near the crash sites. Below link will confirm my proposal to you:
www.cnn.com/us/9911/02/egyptair990.list/index.html
www.fas.org/irp/news/1999/10/
www.ntsb.gov/events/EA990/default.htm

Since then we have not had any news nor any of his relations/partner asking of His claims as the next of kin. That is a situation I have monitored closely with my position in the Company. Having monitored this deposit and managed it over the years before his death, and hence nobody has showed up as the next of kin for the past ten years plus, I have removed the file to my "private vault".

I am soliciting for your cooperation to present you as the next of kin as every other arrangement has being concluded and I am only waiting for a foreigner to enable me move the funds to his account. There is no risk attached to it, as all the internal documentations would be handled by me and every loophole sealed off.

I will therefore request you to confirm your interest by replying me. I will furnish you with the full details and what to do concerning this deal. Your details are needed for documentation reasons:
1) Full names: .............................................
2) Private Tel/Fax: ............................................
3) Current residential address: .................................................
4) Occupation: .............................................
5) Age and Sex: ...........................................

What you stand to gain (%) would be discussed and it is negotiable before the deal commences.

Hope to receive your reply soonest.

Kind regards,
His Excellency H.E. John Mahama Vice President of Ghana.

Anti-fraud resources: