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: "Kofi Morgan" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <kmrgan45@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:24:28 -0000
Subject: Business Investment.,,

Good day,
 
I write asking for your indulgence in re-profiling funds, which I want to keep under your supervision. I will be very glad if you do assist me
to relocate the sum of $18,000,000.00 US dollars (US$18M) into your personal or company bank account, this will be for the benefit of both of us. It was during the course of our auditing that I discovered a floating fund in an account opened in the bank in 2008 and since 2010 nobody has operated on this account again, the money is floating and if I do not remit this money out urgently it will be forfeited for nothing. No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me that there is no heir left behind.
 
This is a genuine business transaction only I cannot operate it alone without using a Foreigner according to the laws guiding my bank, that is why  I am
contacting you in this manner to help me stand before my bank as the beneficiary to claim this fund into your bank account, for assisting me to actualize this better opportunity, you will be entitled to have 30% from the total fund while 40% will be for me, 20% for charity and the remaining 10% will be use for expenses.  As a matter of fact, what i need is your maximum cooperation and to provide a valid bank account where my bank will transfer this money for the benefit of both of us. By indicating your interest on assurance of trust I will send you the full details and how this business will be executed.
 
Most importantly, please I will advice you to keep this business proposal as a top secret between me and you. Your urgent response to this mail will be highly
 
 
Best regards,
 
Kofi Morgan

Anti-fraud resources: