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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: "UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <rev.johnwilliams15@skymail.mn>
Date: Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:45:20 -0800
Subject: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220
1-(567) 280-0674.
FUNDS RELEASE NOTIFICATION
Attn: Beneficiary,
This is to officially inform you that United States government in conjunction with the United States Department of Treasury has finally succeeded to retrieve your inherited contract sum worth $10.2M from the Nigerian Government due to the heavy scam going on in the world today.
You are to immediately stop all contacts immediately with anybody whom is claiming to be acting on your behalf to help you get these funds because your funds are now with the United States Department of Treasury.
You are to contact the Director of the Department of Treasury Rev. Fr John Williams so that he can release your funds to you immediately. Below is his personal information:
Name: Rev. Fr John Williams
Email: rev.fr4jwill@live.com
Tel No: 1-(567) 280-0674.
You are to send the following information’s to him so that he can confirm that you are the true owner of the funds worth $10.2M and also get it released to you immediately.
Name:
Address:
Direct Cell Phone Number:
Age:
Occupation:
Copy of Id:
Contact Rev.Fr. John Williams immediately to inform him that I sent you to him that you have sent your information's to his email and that you are the owner of the funds worth $10.2M with him.
Lastly, I must congratulate you once again on this success; you have to be very careful this time, mind who you tell about this success, I would not want to hear that you funds were sent to the wrong person. Try and keep it to yourself until you receive your funds
Yours Faithfully
Mark Hudson.
Head of United States Treasury Department .

Anti-fraud resources: