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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.

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Fraud email example:

From: "Mr. Fredrick Khumalo." <f.khumalo1@caramail.com> (may be fake)
Reply-To: fred.khum@caramail.com
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 15:49:04 +0200
Subject: URGENT.

From: Fredrick Khumalo
Tel: 27-83-5343337.
Johannesburg, South Africa.

Dear Sir,

I know that this message may come to you as a surprise since we do not know each other before, but for purpose of introduction, I am MR. FREDRICK KHUMALO, an Auditor in ABSA BANK OF SOUTH AFRICA.

During my auditing work in the bank, I found out about an account opened in this bank in 1982 and since 1997 nobody has operated on this account. After going through some old files in the record, I discovered that the owner of this account is Mr. Smith B. Andreas, a foreigner, and a miner at Kruger Gold Co., who died since 1997. No other person knows about this account or any thing concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and my investigation proved to me as well that his Company does not know anything about this account and the amount involved is Six Million Three Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (USD$6.3M). I am only contacting you as a foreigner because this money cannot be approved to a local bank here, but can only be approved to any foreign account because the money is in US dollars and the former owner of the account Mr. Smith B. Andreas is a foreigner too.

I need your full co-operation to make this work, because the management is ready to approve the transfer of this money to any foreigner who has correct information of this account, which I will give to you later. If you are able and willing to handle such amount in strict confidence and according to my instructions and advice for our mutual benefit because this is a lifetime opportunity. With my position now in the office I can lobby for the transfer this money to your account, which you will provide with the assurance that the money will be intact pending my physical arrival in your country for sharing.

I will destroy all documents of transaction immediately this money is transferred, leaving no trace to any place. I will apply for my annual leave to get visa immediately I hear from you that you are ready to act and receive this fund in your account. I will use my position and influence to effect legal approvals and onward transfer of this money to your account with appropriate clearance forms of the ministries and foreign exchange departments.

Please reply urgently so that I will inform you the next step to take immediately. Send also your private telephone and fax numbers including the full details of the account to be used for the deposit. At the conclusion of this business, you will get 20% of the total amount, 75% will be for me, while 5% will be for expenses both parties might incur during the transfer process. I look forward to your earliest reply.

Yours faithfully.
Mr. Fredrick Khumalo.






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