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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: stephen raphael <straph1@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 11:28:54 -0700
Subject: Friend,how are you? I discovered Huge Money and Gold in my Office

Good day Friend,
I guess you will still remember me because i lost your email address
contact and have tried all i could to reach you but all in vain, your
email i know keep bouncing back whenever i sent message on it,i wonder
why,I prayed and hope this message will get across to you through this
medium I used.

I still work as an administrator with the private owned Security
Company located in Accra-Ghana as i told you last time but I have
decided to resign for reasons as you can read below to your best
understanding.

Having worked for this firm for nine years and within this period, I
have watched with meticulously precision how African Heads of States,
government functionaries, Foreign Contractors and Inherited
consignments have been using our firm to move huge sums of money in
USD, Pound sterling, Euro and Gold to their foreign collaborators.

They bring in these consignments of RAW CASH encoded and declared the
contents to be either gold, diamond, precious stones and family
treasure, there are hundreds of consignments deposited under our
vault, and most of the depositors are now dead but their Consignments
lying here Unclaimed for past years without no one coming for claims.
Recently the board of directors of our Firm resolved that any over
stayed deposited Trunk Boxes be disposed and destroyed before end of
this May, to pave way in accommodating incoming items.

It was on this development I met with our Vault Manager who is in
charge of all deposited Consignments in our Vault and we reached an
accord before secretly retrieved (2) Trunk Boxes in pretense to take
them for destroying as mandated by the Management. As I am writing
this message to you we have kept the two consignments into a safety
place where no one can lay hand on them, while waiting to relocate
them.

The good news was, we have took these Items to where it was run
electronic Scanning and only to find out their contents to be image of
money in Millions of US Dollars in 100 Bills Note and Raw GOLD,though
we did not know the exactly amount involved and we did not disclose
this findings to our Management or any of our staff only kept it to
ourselves. Now we needed assistance of you as a foreigner to receive
the Funds on our behalves for Investment in your Country.

We have already finished every arrangement with a diplomatic Officer
who will be delivery the Consignments direct to your doorstep in your
Country while one of us will come over there to meet with you once you
confirm the arrival.

Most important is to heard from you if capable to handle this
transaction with maturity without being greed, also upon your good
response, we shall discuss the sharing ratio between both parties
involved and go into partnership in area of your business once we
resign immediately after this deal is completed with your assistance
as a Foreigner. I personally assuring you that you will have a course
to smile at the conclusion of this transaction as it is very secure
and risk free only that all we needed your word and sincerity before
furthering with you.

More so, this transaction has been hatched for the past four (4)
months now. Please do get back to us as quick as possible for more
details.

Thanks,
Mr.Stephen Raphael.
Email: straph1@gmail.com

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