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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: "Mohammed Al-Hassan Adams:" <aladams---09201948@att.net>
Reply-To: <mdal-hassan.adams@gmx.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:49:50 -0700
Subject: Re: very urgent,

Dear Sir,
 
I hope this message reaches you in good health and happiness.
 
I feel quite safe dealing with you having gone through your remarkable profile on the internet. By way of introduction, I am Mr. Mohammed Al-Hassan Adams, a Ghanaian, born on the 20th of September, 1948 in Tamale, a Capital City in the Northern Region of Ghana. I held the office of the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Contract Award Committee from 2006 to 4th March, 2011.
 
We awarded a contract to a Chinese Company to supply (150,000) One Hundred & Fifty Thousand Pieces of Quality Windows 7 Home Premium Laptop Computers to the (CCC) Community Computer Centers under the Department of Communication of the (ECOWAS) Economic Community of West African States in the Fifteen (15) ECOWAS Member States Regional Headquarters. The cost price of the said Laptop in African market is at the rate of (USD$1,300.00) One Thousand Three Hundred United States Dollars only but the Chinese Company supplied at the rate of (USD$600.00) Six Hundred United States Dollars only per a Laptop which amounted to the tune of (US$90,000,000.00) Ninety Million United States Dollars only.
 
Thus, I deliberately instructed the Chinese Company to add to sum of (USD$250.00) Two Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars only per a Laptop in my favour which amounted to the tune of Thirty Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD$37,500,000.00) only. I also instructed the Chinese Company to state on their Company’s Proforma Invoice which was submitted to the ECOWAS Contract Award Committee that the Laptop Computers where purchased at the rate of Eight Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars (USD$850.00) only per a Laptop which amounted to the tune of One Hundred and Twenty Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD$127,500,000.00) only.
 
Now, the contract has been well executed by the Chinese Company and the full payment of the contract sum of (USD$127,500,000.00) One Hundred and Twenty Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only was deposited with our accredited paying bank but the Chinese Company that was supposed to assist me receive my share of (USD$37,500,000.00) Thirty Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only did not agreed with my terms. Hence, I instructed our accredited paying bank to transfer the Chinese contract sum of (US$90,000,000.00) Ninety Million United States Dollars only to the Chinese Company’s bank account in China. Due to the disagreement I had with the Chinese, the left over invoiced of (USD$37,500,000.00) Thirty Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars only is still pending with our accredited paying bank awaiting my payment order.
 
As a civil servant, our code of ethics does not permit me to receive or have an investment of such funds here in West Africa. Hence, I request you to assist me in transferring the over invoiced sum of Thirty Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD$37,500,000.00) only to any designated bank account of your choice for safety and onward investment projects in the overseas, I shall compensate you with 20% of the total funds for your services which amounted to the tune of Seven Million Five Thousand United States Dollars (USD$7,500,000.00) only and I hope you will accept my offer with an open mind.
 
You have no reason to fear of any hitch as this transaction will be legally executed in a manner that will protect you from any breach of the Laws as I have made a concrete plan with our accredited paying bank for the secure and smooth transfer of the funds to overseas but you must handle this information wisely by keeping it only to yourself to enable us successfully transfer the funds to any designated bank account of your choice without any hitch. If you accept this offer, we shall enter into an agreement that will bind us together after which we shall authorize the bank to transfer the funds to any bank account of your choice.
 
Please quickly get back to me in absolute trust and confidence for detail of proceeding.
 
I await your prompt response.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Mr. Mohammed Al-Hassan Adams,
E-mail: mal-hassan.adams@gmx.com

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