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: "From Mrs. Monica Bruce" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <monicabruce1971@hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 16:59:59 +0200
Subject: THANK YOU

From Mrs. Monica Bruce
Sandton Johannesburg South Africa
TEL: +27 78 367 6108
Email: monicabruce1970@hotmail.co.uk
   Compliment
              INVITATION FOR PARTNERSHIP
I am well confident of your capability of executing this transaction for the mutual benefit of both families, believing that you will not expose or betray the trust and confident I am about to repose to you.
I am contacting you with the greatest delight and personal respect. I am Mrs. Monica Bruce, the wife of late Dr. Mr. Michael Bruce, we used to work in three tobacco farms in Chipping together with my late husband that was murdered by the forces loyal to President Robert Mugabe due to their support in acquiring his land and property during the crisis in Zimbabwe last year. Which continued and led to the lost of several lives of
foreign(white) farmers as reported on cable network news (CNN) and by the British broadcasting Corporation (BBC). I got your contact courtesy of the South African business Directory here in Johannesburg private research for a reliable person, for partnership investment overseas. Believing you are sincere and trustworthy person and of transparent honesty and capable of handling this transaction to the best of your knowledge on assisting my son and I, in transferring the sum of US$11,500, 000.00. (Eleven Million, Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars Only), into a foreign account for safe keeping pending on arrival to your country for our investment plan. You may need to know how this fund originated. The sum was inherited from my late husband who was assassinated by Robert Mugabe's aides in view of acquiring his land and property. I got to know of this fund when our family lawyer, approached me few months ago with some documents that my late h! usband had filed with him in the f
draw your attention to the sum of US,500, 000.00 (Eleven Million Five Hundred Thousand United
state dollars) which I deposited with a security company in South Africa All documents concerning the fund is filed with our family lawyer and you can make lay claim of the fund in case of my absence on earth only by
death. I made an agreement with the Security Company that my foreign partner will stand as a beneficiary to lay claim of the money. The beneficiary will come forward to make claim of the consignment.Dr.Micheal Bruce, my late husband advised me through my lawyer, that incase if he dies that I should look for a foreigner who will stand as the beneficiary of the fund so that the fund will be transfer to his or her
account for partnership investment. From the above you can understand that my future especially that of my son depends strongly on this money. I will like you to assist us in transferring this money into your account for investment. You can contact my son Christopher in South Africa on TEL:+27 78 367 6108
Email:monicabruce1970@hotmail.co.uk for more details, as he has been to South Africa to arrange with some bankers that will assist in this transfer. I am interested in any business you think can be very
viable in your country as long as the business will not fail me because the lives of me and my son depends on this money. For your assistance in this regard, it will interest you to know that we
will be willing to come to terms with you regarding your reward for helping us actualize this matter. It is equally important to state here that considering the nature of this matter, we will require that it is handled most discreetly. Kindly contact us using the above particulars upon receipt of this letter for execution details and other necessary discussions. Your private phone and fax number will be needed for easier communication thank you in anticipation of your trusted and genuine assistance I remain,
Yours Sincerely,
Monica Bruce (Mrs.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/918781.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/715001.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1063785.stm

Anti-fraud resources: