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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. Joan Gates" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <ekene111111@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2015 05:01:07 -0800
Subject: Greetings!

Greetings,

I got your email address from a email Directory and decided to mail you for a permission to go ahead. I am Mrs. Joan Gates from the United Kingdom, married to Dr. James R. Gates who worked with Texaco Oil Company in Africa before he died in a ghastly motor accident on his way to a Board meeting. My Husband and I were married but without any child. Since his death I decided not to remarry and presently I am 69 Years old. At this age, life has been so unpleasant considering the
condition of my health.

What does it profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his soul? With all the money my husband and I have made in this world, we are going back to our creator with nothing. At the moment I cannot take any telephone call because I am presently in a hospital where I am undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only few months to live. Subsequently, I have no option than use the money my husband left for charity purposes since I do not have any child.


When my late husband was alive, he deposited the sum of $16.120M.(Sixteen Million One Hundred and Twenty Thousand U.S.
Dollars) with a Bank in Africa. Presently this money is still with the Bank and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather Issue a letter of authority to somebody to receive it on my behalf. I want a person who is trustworthy that I will make the beneficiary of my late Husband's Fund so that the person can get the money and utilize 70% of it to fund churches, orphanages and widows around the world. I desired to build a Charity organization in the name of me and my husband. Right now, due to the facts that my relatives have received buildings and failed to the funds I gave them for this purpose before, I cannot continue with them anymore. I have been helping orphans orphanage/motherless homes. I have also donated some money for humanitarian needs in Sudan, South Africa, Brazil,
Spain, Austria, Germany and some Asian countries.

I have been touched to the good work of humanity through you, rather than allow my relatives to use my husband's hard earned funds inappropriately. I know I have never met you but my mind tells me to do this, and I hope you act sincerely.

Once I hear from you, you’ll have the Bank’ contact details. Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein. This is my last wish on Earth.

Regards,

Mrs. Joan Gates

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