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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.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

 

 

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: "MRS RAFATU MOHAMMED" <mrsisat.ahmed@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: rafatumohammed@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 08:53:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: GREETINGS

DEAREST,
GREETINGS TO YOU IN THE NAME OF GOD. PLEASE LET THIS NOT SOUND STRANGE TO
YOU FOR MY LAWYER WHO WOULD HAVE DONE THIS DIED A FEW DAYS AGO. I PRAYED
AND GOT YOUR EMAIL ID FROM YOUR COUNTRY'S GUEST BOOK WHICH HAVE BEEN WITH
MY LATE HUSBAND.

I AM MRS RAFATU MOHAMED FROM LEBANON BUT BASED IN LONDON . I AM 58 YEARS
OLD AND SUFFERING FROM A LONG TIME CANCER OF THE LUNGS WHICH ALSO AFFECTED
MY BRAIN, FROM ALL INDICATIONS MY CONDITION IS REALLY DETERIORATING AND IT
IS QUITE OBVIOUS, ACCORDING TO MY DOCTORS THEY HAVE ADVISED ME THAT I MAY
NOT LIVE FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, THIS IS BECAUSE THE CANCER STAGE HAS
GOTTEN TO A VERY BAD STAGE. I WAS BROUGHT UP FROM A MOTHERLESS BABIES HOME
AND WAS MARRIED TO MY LATE HUSBAND FOR TWENTY YEARS WITHOUT A CHILD, MY
HUSBAND DIED IN A FATAL MOTOR ACCIDENT TWO YEARS AGO. BEFORE HIS DEATH WE
WERE TRUE BELIEVERS. SINCE HIS DEATH I DECIDED NOT TO RE-MARRY, I SOLD ALL
MY INHERITED BELONGINGS AND DEPOSITED ALL THE MONEY TOTALING $8.2MILLION
USD WITH OUR BANK.

PRESENTLY, THIS MONEY IS STILL WITH THEM AND THE MANAGEMENT JUST WROTE ME
YESTERDAY AS THE TRUE OWNER TO COME FORWARD TO RECEIVE THE MONEY FOR IT
HAS BEEN THERE FOR LONG TIME OR I RATHER ISSUE A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION
TO SOMEBODY TO RECEIVE IT ON MY BEHALF SINCE I CAN NOT COME OVER BECAUSE
OF MY ILLNESS OR THEY GET IT RETURNED TO TREASURY.
PRESENTLY, I'M WITH MY LAPTOP IN A HOSPITAL HERE IN WHERE I HAVE BEEN
UNDERGOING TREATMENT. DOCTORS HAVE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE ONLY A FEW MONTHS
TO LIVE. IT IS MY MY LAST WISH TO SEE THAT THIS MONEY IS INVESTED TO ANY
ORGANIZATION OF YOUR CHOICE AND DISTRIBUTED EACH YEAR AMONG THE CHARITY
ORGANIZATION, THE POOR AND THE MOTHERLESS BABIES HOME. I WANT YOU AS A GOD
FEARING PERSON, TO ALSO USE THIS MONEY TO FUND ORPHANAGES AND WIDOWS, I
TOOK THIS DECISION BEFORE I REST IN PEACE BECAUSE MY TIME WILL SOON BE UP.
AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR REPLY I SHALL GIVE YOU THE CONTACT OF MY BANK.
I WILL ALSO ISSUE YOU A LETTER OF AUTHORITY THAT WILL PROVE YOU AS THE
NEW BENEFICIARY OF MY FUND. PLEASE ASSURE ME THAT YOU WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY
AS I STATED HEREIN.
HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
YOURS IN THE LORD,
MRS RAFATU MOHAMED

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