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: "Mr Donny James" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <adams23@w.cn>
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:44:42 +0530
Subject: Dear Friend How are you today?

Dear Friend How are you today?

Hope all is well with you and your family? I hope this mail meets you in a perfect condition. You may not understand why this mail came to you. But if you do not remember me, you might have receive an email from me in the past regarding a business proposal which we never concluded.

I am using this opportunity to thank you for your great effort to our unfinished transfer of fund into your account due to one reason or the other best known to you. But I want to inform you that I have successfully transferred the fund out of my bank to someone else account who was capable of assisting me in this great venture, Due to your effort, sincerity, courage and trustworthiness you showed at the course of the transaction I want to compensate you and show my gratitude to you with the sum of $550,000.00 United States Of America Dollars,

I have authorized Mr. Adam Smith where I deposited my money to issue you international certified bank draft cashable at your bank. My dear friend I want you to contact Mr. Adam Smith for the collection of this international certified bank draft.

The name and contact address of Mr. Adam Smith is as follows.

Name: Mr. Adam Smith
Email:adams23@w.cn


Contact Mr. Adam Smith at the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects which I and my new partner are having at hand In Nepal. Finally remember that I have forwarded instruction to Mr. Adam Smith on your behalf to send the bank draft check of Five hundred and fifty thousand United States Of America Dollars to you. As soon as you contact him without delay, kindly accept this token with good faith, as this is from the bottom of my heart. Thanks and God bless you and your family.

Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.

Mr. Donny James


Anti-fraud resources: