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: Mellisa Lewis <lewis.mellisa@superposta.com>
Reply-To: hm7590@yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2012 13:12:42 +0100 (BST)
Subject: =?utf-8?B?TXkgRG9uYXRpb24g4oKsNCwwMDAsMDAw?=



My Dear

With
warm hearts I offer my friendship, and my greetings to you in the name
of our lord God, and I hope this letter meets you in good time, I
propose with my free mind and as a person of integrity from God, I know
that this message will appear as a surprise to you that we barely know
but the grace of God directed me to you and I wish you read this message
and be blessed in name of the Lord.
 
I have a brain tumor, I
suffer terribly at the moment. My doctor just informed me that my days
are numbered because of my health therefore condemned to certain death.
Currently, I have exhausted all my savings for my medical care.
 
But
I do have some funds for my charity project, these funds are deposited
in a fixed deposit in a local bank here in Benin. purposed for
charitable foundation
 
My marital status is such that I'm single
because I lost my Husband for over 9 years now and unfortunately we have
not had a child together, which I am no one to leave my legacy .
Therefore, to release my funds I would like to make a donation so that
there is no stiff tax on my money.
 
 To this I would so graceful
and in order to help the poor to give what amounts to said legacy worth
Four million euros (€4,000,000.00) (Four Million Euro) to enable you to
establish a charitable foundation in my memory so that the grace of God
be with me until my last home so I can receive an honorable place with
the Lord our father.
 
I have no fear because before contacted
you, i have for several nights prayed for the Lord God to give me the
contact of a trusted person to whom I can entrust this matter and it is
the result of why I am doing research that allowed me to contact you
through this  site.
 
Know that you can keep half of the money for
yourself and the rest will be used to create a charitable foundation in
my memory and a federation in the fight against cancer and also build
orphanages. I would have the following information: Your name and first
name, your exact address and your permanent telephone contact so I can
forward them to my lawyer to appear that you perform the procedure under
deal.
 
I count on your goodwill and especially on the proper use
of these funds have something I do not doubt because I have great
confidence in you that God may guide me toward you. My private E-mail: mslewismellisa@live.com
 
Awaiting your prompt reply, receive my cordial and fraternal greetings.
 
Yours Sincerely
Mrs Mellisa Lewis
My Private email: mslewismellisa@live.com

Anti-fraud resources: